Store Check: Seabra Foods, Newark, NJ

NEWARK, NJ — Where previous mainstream operators have failed in this neighborhood, Seabra Foods BB #:288147 has found its niche serving ethnic communities.

We visited this store in Newark on the New York Produce Show tour, and it was easy to see which community it was serving, because there weren’t very many employees to be found. It was a special case, however, because Portugal was playing a World Cup soccer match while we were in the store — winning, based on the cheers coming from the seating area on the mezzanine.

Perishables are the backbone of Seabra Foods’ business, said Manny Brito, manager of operations. Produce share of sales for the stores approaches 20% of the business for the company for some of its best performing stores, he said.

While Seabra has a background in serving the Portuguese and Brazilian communities, the company continues to cater its offerings to other groups.

“As the neighborhood changes, we change, and we’re very good at it,” Brito said.

Take a look around Seabra Foods: