Bernards Township is about to have no supermarket at all. Late this month, the Stop & Shop at Lyons Mall, 553 S. Finley Ave., is expected to close for good. When it does, the township's grocery shopping divides. The full-cart trip heads to Bernardsville, Bedminster or farther. The smaller stops stay home, spread along two streets.
New Jersey Hills described Stop & Shop as "the township's only supermarket." The paper said the ShopRite on Route 202 in Bernardsville was the only competitor within several miles. No other store is taking over that role. The weekly shop will simply be split up.
Fifty-Six Years of One Anchor
The space has sold groceries for as long as Lyons Mall has existed. Grand Union opened there in August 1970 as the mall's first tenant. Stop & Shop replaced it in January 2001.
According to TAPinto Basking Ridge, Stop & Shop's government affairs liaison told township officials about the closing on July 21. Mayor Ana Duarte McCarthy said the decision followed a comprehensive financial review and lined up with the end of the store's lease. The company has said only that the store will close in October and has not named a specific day. New Jersey Hills reported that employees were told around July 20 that the last day would be Oct. 28 or 29.
Two details from that coverage affect what happens next:
- Staff. Employees are being offered transfers to nearby Stop & Shop stores in Berkeley Heights, Madison and Watchung.
- Inventory. The mayor said the liquidation will include working with area food bank networks so that usable products go to people in need.
Why the Next Tenant Is an Open Question
Whether another supermarket moves into Lyons Mall partly depends on the building. New Jersey Hills reported that the Stop & Shop space is about 30,000 square feet. It was last enlarged in 1992, when it gained 8,800 square feet on the train station side and a 1,200-square-foot vestibule in front. The paper called the space "relatively small by modern supermarket standards."
Compare that with the nearest competitor. The Bernardsville ShopRite opened in July 1966, and its owners added 11,914 square feet in late 2004, bringing the store to 41,640 square feet. The Lyons Mall space is about three-quarters the size of the store that will absorb much of its business.
There is a successor in the works, but it has not been named. At the July 28 Township Committee meeting, the mayor said the mall's owner had indicated "there is a new tenant preparing plans and specifications for township review." New Jersey Hills reported that a resident spoke during public comment to say he hoped another market would move in. As of TAPinto's Aug. 14 report, the tenant was still undisclosed.
When those plans are filed, they should be easy to find. The township moved Planning Board applications to its MuniCollab portal starting July 1, 2026, as the Bernards Township Planning Board page explains. The mall itself is owned and managed by Lyons Mall, Inc., according to the Lyons Mall website. Its other businesses, including The UPS Store at 5 Lyons Mall, remain open seven days a week.
The Full-Cart Trip Leaves the Township
Until a new tenant opens, every full-line supermarket a Basking Ridge household can use is in another town. These are the closest options with current store listings:
| Store | Address | What the listing confirms |
|---|---|---|
| ShopRite of Bernardsville | 93 Morristown Road, Bernardsville | Operated by Village Supermarket on Route 202 |
| Kings Food Markets | 450 Hills Dr., Bedminster | Open daily, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Stop & Shop | 404 Springfield Ave., Berkeley Heights | One of the stores taking transferring staff |
| Stop & Shop | 133 Main St., Madison | Same chain, same loyalty program |
| Stop & Shop | 1511 U.S. Highway 22 West, Watchung | Same chain, along Route 22 |
For many households, Lyons Mall was the in-town stop on the way home along South Finley Avenue. The closest replacement, the Bernardsville ShopRite, is on Route 202. Kings in Bedminster has the longest posted hours of the group, which matters for anyone who used to shop late at night.
What Stays in Town Lives on Two Streets
Inside the township, food shopping does not disappear. It shrinks to smaller shops, and most of them sit on South Finley Avenue, close to the mall that is losing its anchor, or on South Maple Avenue.
Along and near South Finley Avenue
- The Baker, 96 S. Finley Ave., sells sourdough breads and pastries on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Jersey Girl Chocolate, 20 Lewis St., held its public grand opening and ribbon-cutting on Sept. 26, according to TAPinto Basking Ridge.
- Gabe's Bagels is planned for the former Dunkin' at 450 S. Finley Ave. When Patch reported it on Aug. 11, owner Gabe Gebril hoped to open about three months later. No opening date has been announced since.
Along South Maple Avenue and beyond
- M&M Perrotti's, 77 S. Maple Ave., is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed Sunday.
- Crane Farm, 270 S. Maple Ave., is listed as a family-run farm stand with local produce, artisan bread and regional specialty foods.
- Green's Natural Foods, 25 Mountainview Blvd., is a natural and organic grocer. It is the closest thing to a general grocery store that will remain inside the township.
- English Farm, 3625 Valley Road in Liberty Corner, runs a farm store open Thursday and Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It says it carries certified-organic vegetables year-round.
Most of these shops keep daytime hours. The Baker closes at 2 p.m., Perrotti's is closed Sundays, and English Farm's store is open four days a week. They can cover bread, produce and dinner for the night, but not a full week of groceries on one evening trip.
The Next Few Weeks on the Calendar
A few seasonal options run past the closing. The Bernardsville Farmers Market, at the Bernardsville Train Station at Route 202 and Claremont Road, is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Nov. 21, according to TAPinto. That means four more market Saturdays after Stop & Shop's reported last day.
English Farm also hosts the township's sixth annual free Pumpkin Smash on Saturday, Nov. 7, from noon to 1:30 p.m. It is organized by the Agricultural Advisory Committee and the Environmental Commission, as TAPinto Basking Ridge reported. The farm store keeps its weekend hours that day, so you can pick up vegetables while you're there.
At Megan Bonanno, we follow changes like this one at Lyons Mall because they shape what daily life looks like on every street nearby. If you live near South Finley Avenue and want to know how the township's changing shops and services figure into your home's value, request your free home valuation, and we'll walk through it with you calmly and in plain numbers.
