What I Learned at Kings

EDITOR’S NOTE: The COVID-19 crisis has hit us all; we have been heartbroken, uplifted, unmoored. To help document the moment, Edible Jersey is sharing stories from our community.

Kings Food Markets (originally Kings Supermarkets) was founded in 1936 with the opening of its first store in Summit, NJ. Over the years and through various owners, the grocer went on to operate nearly two dozen stores in New Jersey, many serving as an anchor presence on downtown Main Streets. After filing for bankruptcy in August 2020, Kings was sold in October to Albertson’s, the second-largest supermarket chain in North America. While the new owner plans to keep the majority of stores open, the following Kings locations have closed since early December: Bernardsville, Gillette, Hoboken River Street, Maplewood, Ridgewood* and Warren.

This essay, written by Edible Jersey’s intern, is a reminder that “brick-and-mortar” stores bring much more to the communities they serve than just the products they sell. Please shop local.

It was the spring of sophomore year in high school, and the one thing I wanted most was for my parents to stop asking me when I was going to get or apply for a job.

Fortunately, I landed a job at Kings.

Looking back on it now as a senior in college, I realize that working as a cashier at Kings taught me more than I could have asked for.

Looking back on it now as a senior in college, I realize that working as a cashier at Kings taught me more than I could have asked for. I learned skills that I am still able to apply today. My typical work shifts were after school, between 4 and 8pm, as well as on the weekends, and there is never a more crowded time at a grocery store then on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. This is where I learned how to work both quickly and efficiently. People want their checkout experience to be completed in a timely manner and, therefore, I acquired the skills to bag items in the most efficient way possible. This meant keeping all the cold items together, not putting all the heavier items in one bag, and even just knowing that, while paper bags may be a hassle to open, they fit more items and are better for the environment. In fact, I became so good at the task that, even now, when I go food shopping with my mom, she always wants me to bag her items. The value of working in a timely manner that I learned on the job has become even more relevant to me in college. There are certain deadlines for clubs and activities that I am involved in and, when items are assigned, it becomes my priority to give it my best effort and to complete it as soon as possible.

Working as a cashier also allowed me to become more aware of food and the different products available. Prior to working at Kings, I didn’t know what taro roots were or that there was such a thing as white asparagus. Most times, I would chat with customers about food they were purchasing, and they would mention how they planned to incorporate different vegetables or fruits into their meals. It made me want to expand my palate and see what other foods are out there that I would potentially like. Without seeing these foods on a regular basis during my shifts, I probably wouldn’t have known they existed.

While there is much that I gained from Kings, giving back to the community was one of the greatest lessons learned. In the two years I worked there, there were only a few times when Kings wasn’t running a campaign or project that would allow customers to give back. One of my favorites was around Thanksgiving when customers could purchase an already packaged bag of food items that would then be delivered to the Interfaith Food Pantry in Morristown. While some customers declined making the purchase, it was encouraging to see that most people would spend the extra money to help those who are less fortunate. This showed me that giving back can be done in so many ways: for some it can be sorting food at a food bank or, for others, it can mean purchasing a prepackaged bag of food, like we offered at Kings. While there are many things that I learned, this was by far the most impactful as I have carried this importance of giving back to my school, where I join with my sorority at Seton Hall to help sort food at a local food bank. I am so grateful I had the experience of having my first job at Kings Food Market.

*Ridgewood will reopen under new grocer ownership this spring.

Kings, Maplewood, the night before closing its doors permanently after 78 years of operation. Other Kings Food Markets remain open and vibrant in 18 locations throughout New Jersey.