AFC Urgent Care Moving into Deptford's Former Grove Hardware Location

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An AFC Urgent Care is currently under development in the former location of Grove Hardware in Deptford.

The larger building is split into two sections, with a Walgreen’s Pharmacy operating in the other portion.

This exact location is at the busy intersection of Delsea Drive and Cooper Street, next to Burger King and across from Budd’s Pools.

The Deptford Municipal Building is to the East and the Cooper Walmart to the West.

Members of several Deptford Town Groups on Facebook have been saying a Starbucks was also planned for the open Grove Hardware spot, but we strongly believe the global coffee outlet is NOT coming to the location.

In Mayor Medany’s recent Mayor Update he only lists the urgent care for the property, and the construction permit on the window at the Grove Hardware store only says AFC Urgent Care.

We believe Starbucks was initially discussed but those plans did not come together.

In our 42Freeway area, there is an AFC Urgent Care location in Washington Township and Gloucester Township.

Intersection of Delsea and Cooper St Deptford. 1950s? Grove Hardware is the block building on the right.
Colorized Photo Mural at TD Bank Deptford

AFC Urgent Care

AFC stands for American Family Care, and they are a large group of Urgent Care Centers which are rapidly expanding across the country.

Today they have over 280 locations around the country… but their roots start back in 1982 in Birmingham Alabama where the first location opened, making them one of the early adopters of this then new concept in medicine.

The AFC Urgent Care Corporate website states that in 2020 they treated over 3 million patients, and they have locations in over 26 States!

As you would expect they offer a full range of medical care and it’s not just about Urgent care. They are also positioned to be a family primary care provider.

AFC Urgent Care Construction Permit For Deptford Location

An interesting aspect to AFC Urgent Care is they are a franchise!

This model is a key part behind their growth.

A December 2021 press release states in 2021 they had a record year in signing 58 new location deals, and they have a goal of 500 locations by 2025.

Grove Hardware Deptford

Grove Hardware was a local and family run Hardware store in Deptford NJ for over seven decades!

According to a 2013 “Revealing SJ” blog post, the name Grove Hardware came from the business’s start in Westville Grove back in 1945. A few years later they moved to the corner of Delsea Drive and Cooper Street.

“We pay closer attention to the customers’ needs and it’s a more hands-on experience at Grove,” said employee Jahaira Rivera. “Customer service really means a lot to our customers and to us as well.”
Grove Hardware Representative to “Revealing South Jersey” blog in 2013

As we all know, the current building is a much larger and modern design, which shares the property with a Walgreen’s. The new store opened in 2002… and yes still located at the same intersection.

In 2013 the Revealing SJ blog post said they employed 15 people at the time

Sad news came just 5 years later in 2018 when Grove Hardware closed its doors.

While we haven’t had a chance to speak to the now retired former owners, we can theorize that competition from big box stores like Home Depot and Walmart, and the growth of online shopping… played a big part in the closing of the store.

Since it’s closing in late 2018 (early 2019?) the property had been empty, and looking for a new tenant.

Grove Hardware Deptford through the years. These photos were hanging in the store.
Photo Courtesy Lynn C.

Reading through past newspaper clippings it’s clear Grove Hardware was well known in South Jersey, and was a “more than occasional” stop for the reporters at the Courier-Post.

Just two years after the 1996 Blizzard our area faced a very mild winter where temps peaked into the 70s… and Grove Hardware was listed as a store that would be left with an inventory of shovels and sleds.

A March 1999 article on the emergence of spring references how all of the winter salt and de-icer have been replaced with rakes and fertilizers.

A 2000 article on an impending ice storm… an interview with Jay Gay of Grove Hardware stated they wiped out their inventory of snow and ice related products.

A 2001 article announces the new combined building for Grove Hardware and Walgreen’s was coming soon.

A 2003 article about women becoming more involved in home improvement projects quotes a Grove Hardware representative saying “women make up at least half of the customer base”

And a 2004 article announces plans for the new nearby Walmart. Mimi Standish of Grove Hardware said she expected the superstore would cut into her business in the short term.

Grove Hardware stayed in business 14 more years after the emergence of Walmart in Deptford.

But adding Amazon into the picture, well maybe that just became too much.