Matawan's downtown becomes a C-Town Store offers a mix of American staples and Hispanic favorites BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer PHOTOS BY KAREN BOWES The decorated facade of the new C-Town in downtown Matawan is a welcome sight to many residents. MATAWAN - See unused ratable. See town sad. C-Town open. See town glad. The large vacant space at 126 Main St. returned to its supermarket roots on Friday, reopening as C-Town 25 years after the old Foodtown closed its doors. Paul Richards, a longtime Matawan resident and the new store's manager, recalled on Sunday how much the neighborhood, and the times, have changed since the mid-1980s. Gone are the days of stay-at-home moms and leisurely food shopping on weekday mornings. Today's modern family needs to food shop when and where it can. For Richards, the downtown C-Town is perfect for those moments when residents are unable to devote a large chunk of time to food shopping. "It makes it that much easier for me to run and grab staples," agreed shopper Sheila Caldwell, Aberdeen, while checking out on Sunday afternoon. "I came in for the first time this morning and I was impressed. There's a lot of ethnic foods and variety. Hey, you have to cater to the neighborhood." Cheerful jars of gel candy called Tampicogel greet customers near the checkout aisles. The neighborhood certainly has changed over the years, from a rural farming community to a modern mix of middle-class professionals and new arrivals from Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries. The C-Town aims to cater to both groups, offering up traditional American items alongside brands like Tradiciones Andinas, which makes frozen and canned items like maiz desgranado, or oversized frozen corn kernels. One American favorite, Chips Ahoy, is also offered as Pepitos, a slightly different version of the popular cookie sold in Argentina. In the dairy aisle, there's Philadelphia Cream Cheese and La Ricura's crema Mexicana, a Mexican-style cream, offered at $3.99 for a 16-ounce jar. Across the aisle is the Goya frozen fruit-pulp section with exotic flavors like blackberry, passion fruit and papaya, priced between $1.39 and $1.89. Prepackaged and fresh cuts of meat and poultry are available at the new C-Town on Main Street, Matawan. In the mood for some dried whole shrimp? The folks at GroMex sell popular Mexican dried products and seeds like whole shrimp, pulla pods and epazote leaves, used as seasonings in soups and stews. This week, the butcher is offering a special on cow feet, on sale for 89 cents a pound. Pork feet are also on sale at 99 cents a pound. If all this foreign food sounds unfamiliar, the well-stocked store also provides plenty of Prego spaghetti sauce and Cocoa Puffs, not to mention C-Town's own no-frills brand Krasdale, which produces versions of brand-name products at about half the cost. For example, Krasdale's breakfast cereals are $2.19 for a 15-ounce box. Longtime Matawan resident Theodore Balos said he remembers shopping at the old supermarket in 1961. He was pleased the space has reopened as a supermarket. "I used to come in here when it was Foodtown," Balos said. "It's nice, clean, well-stocked, kind customer service. But I don't know if it's going to change. I imagine it will because business will pick up. I like it because I can walk here from my house." Richards also enjoys being so close to home. As a volunteer fireman, the company is allowing the new manager to leave to answer fire calls. Another neighborhood perk? He knows all "the kids" who work for him as cashiers and stock boys. "They have a good time," Richards said, noting for most of the high school students, it's their first job. "And they get to see their neighbors and friends." Just like in the '80s. C-Town is located at 126 Main St. Store hours are Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call (732) 583-0999 for information on free delivery on orders over $30. EBT and WIC checks are accepted.