As Acme In Manasquan Prepared For Closing, It Helped Amid COVID

MANASQUAN – Vivian Sislian said she saw the Acme in Manasquan as a "truly local experience," even if it was a supermarket.

She shopped for 16 years at the store that was at the heart of Manasquan's downtown for five decades.

"They never fail to offer help and greet us with smiles," she said. "In this crazy COVID environment, it has been a most positive experience."

Acme was a fixture in Manasquan for decades – so much so that Sislian nominated the store for Patch's "Business of the Year," even as it was slated to be shut down.

But even as it faced a Dec. 4 closure date, the store came through for local residents, she said.

The supermarket chain confirmed to The Asbury Park Press that the downtown Manasquan store had to close. "Like all retailers, we are constantly evaluating our store portfolio and have to look at every angle of the business. This includes our real estate," spokesperson Dana Ward told The APP.

Customer William Dunwoody Jr., a long time Manasquan resident, told The Press: "I'm a supporter of this store ... It's a bad thing for consumers and it's a bad thing for Manasquan."

Sislian complimented the manager, "Amy," "who revolutionized the store with improvements," as well as the produce manager, "Anthony;" stock supplier, "Paul;" and check-out clerks "Linda," "Jeff" and others.

They, she said. "have made our shopping experiences a true pleasure."

"We will really miss them all," she said.

Have a business you would like to see in a special spotlight? As a Patch reader, you can nominate a Local Businesses of the Year.

Please tell us the name of the business, where it is located, why it deserves to be recognized and what specific actions have earned your allegiance. Please be as specific as possible, as your comments may be included in a Patch feature article about the local business.

You can nominate any local business you feel should be recognized. That includes retail stores, restaurants, hardware shops, dry cleaners, plumbers, car mechanics, salons and more. You can even nominate the business you work for if you feel they've gone above and beyond in helping their employees through this uncharted time.

Patch will feature nominated businesses in December. Please submit your nomination by Dec. 10.

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