Closed: ACME – Middlesex, NJ

Location: 125 Bound Brook Road, Middlesex NJ

The Middlesex ACME closed down on February 3, 2022 after an impressive 67-year run. Originally, the store was 1/2 the size you see here and was eventually expanded to match ACME's 33M format while being a good 15,000 feet short of a standard 33M store. I don't recall an official reason given by ACME for the closing but it did happen during a time when ACME was shuttering other smaller, outdated stores.

Exterior pictures are from various map sites, which caught the store in various states of operation. 

The image above is from Manny X's video on the Middlesex ACME on YouTube. Really great labelscar photo. The store wouldn't last long in this condition as you can see below. 

A bit of blue paint to freshen things up. Notice even the red, white and blue squares along the awning are all blue now. 

Several videos on youtube show the store emptied out. The image above is from Manny X's video.

The rest of the images are from WallieB26's video. Really great views of the abandoned interior! 

A zoomed-in shot of the back wall of the meat department showing the brown and orange paneling remaining from the Colonial Decor package. In the 80s Remodel, upright cases were installed in the meat department and pushed up against the walls, leaving little reason to paint over the old decor. We see these panels in nearly every abandoned ACME. 

Here we see a mess of the 80's tile floor as new registers were installed at one point. The original pattern not recreated. 

THE INTERIOR WHILE STILL OPEN>>

Middlesex had the 90's Checkerboard Arch décor until its closing day. The only store in the chain to keep this decor well into the 2000's and beyond. Only a handful of New Jersey stores received this and Middlesex was the only store that I know of, which got this particular version, which includes a cursive font for some departments as well as a couple of design elements not commonly seen. The aisle markers are from the Red/White/Blue package, which was next up in the 90's. The markers here were most likely taken from a closed store. 

The cursive font for deli and seafood. 

Portions of the walls were hit with some beige paint, perhaps to soften the look of all the maddening checkerboards! This is an all-time favorite of mine, particularly in stores that received the full remodel. 

TODAY>>

Today, the ACME space is operating as a Planet Fitness with about 1/3 of the building still available for lease. Looks like I'll need to do a workout here someday! Now, what aisle is this treadmill in?

Under construction. 

The initial replacement of the red oval sign with the block-letter sign. ACME would eventually circle back and upgrade this section of the facade. 

You can visit additional coverage of the Middlesex store by clicking here.