Legends Supermarket
Downtown Rahway is a pedestrian friendly city with a strong residential presence. Owner of Legends Supermarket, Esperanza Maldonado, stocks essential goods and dry food products to provide a convenient and accessible shop within walking distance for downtown residents.
A natural entrepreneur, she started selling things while still in school and soon discovered that she preferred to work for herself. During the Covid shutdown when so many jobs were paused; this ambitious Rahway native saw an unfilled need and created one of the only mobile convenience stores on wheels in the state. Providing staples and pre-packaged foods for those unable to get out to shop, Legends mobile van continues to serve seniors and people in assisted living facilities where too often their choices are limited. The service grew by word of mouth and as she added products, she expanded her reach to include outlying communities and neighborhoods considered food deserts.
Looking toward the future, it made sense to expand the delivery service and open a brick & mortar store. She began the search for a suitable downtown building desiring an address that would draw foot traffic from nearby neighborhoods. In 2023, she found the building at 1539 Main Street and began the slow process of updating the utilities and designing the interior of the store. Overcoming obstacles typical of fixing up an older building, she confronted many unexpected challenges and unforeseen expenses causing her to shift some of her goals for the store. Now open, she continues to evaluate her stock to make sure she has the items people most look for in a neighborhood market.
Esperanza would like to see Legends become an essential part of the neighborhood, where kids can come in after school for a snack and residents can find a pair of socks or a missing ingredient without having to drive out of town. She welcomes customers’ input and is excited to bring more foot traffic to that end of Main Street. A challenge she is ready for.