Exhibit 3.1



                                    RESTATED

                          CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

                                       of

                              PATHMARK STORES, INC.

                                 --------------



                  PATHMARK STORES, INC. (originally incorporated as SMG
INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS CORPORATION XV, the "Corporation") hereby certifies that
this Restated Certificate of Incorporation of PATHMARK STORES, INC. was duly
adopted in accordance with the provisions of section 245 of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and that it only restates and
integrates and does not further amend the provisions of the Corporation's
Certificate of Incorporation as theretofore amended or supplemented, and that
there is no discrepancy between those provisions and the provisions of the
restated certificate. The original Certificate of Incorporation of the
Corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on June 5, 1987.

                                    ARTICLE I

                                      Name

                  Section 1.1.    Name.  The name of the Corporation is
Pathmark Stores, Inc.

                                   ARTICLE II

                     Registered Office and Registered Agent

                  Section 2.1. Office and Agent. The registered office of the
Corporation in the State of Delaware is located at 1013 Centre Road, City of
Wilmington, County of New Castle. The name and address of the Corporation's
registered agent is The Prentice-Hall Corporation System, Inc., 1013 Centre
Road, Wilmington, Delaware, 19805.

                                   ARTICLE III

                               Corporate Purposes

                  Section 3.1.      Purpose.   The purpose of the Corporation 
is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be
organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.





                                   ARTICLE IV

                                  Capital Stock

                  Section 4.1. Shares, Classes and Series Authorized. The total
number of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Corporation shall
have authority to issue is one hundred (100) all of which shall be Common Stock
of the par value of $0.10 each (hereinafter called "Common Stock"). The Common
Stock shall have voting rights for the election of directors and for all other
purposes, each holder of Common Stock being entitled to one vote for each share
thereof held by such holder, except as otherwise required by law.

                                    ARTICLE V

                          Powers of Board of Directors

                  Section 5.1. Powers.  In furtherance and not in limitation
of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors of the
Corporation is expressly authorized:

                  (a) To make, alter, amend or repeal the By-Laws, except as
otherwise expressly provided in any By-Law made by the holders of the capital
stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon. Any ByLaw may be altered,
amended or repealed by the holders of the capital stock of the Corporation
entitled to vote thereon at any annual meeting or at any special meeting called
for that purpose.

                  (b) To authorize and cause to be executed mortgages and liens
upon the real and personal property of the Corporation.

                  (c) To determine the use and disposition of any surplus and
net profits of the Corporation, including the determination of the amount of
working capital required, to set apart out of any of the funds of the
Corporation, whether or not available for dividends, a reserve or reserves for
any proper purpose and to abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was
created.

                  (d) To designate, by resolution passed by a majority of the
whole Board of Directors, one or more committees, each committee

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to consist of one or more directors of the Corporation, which, to the extent 
provided in the resolution designating the committee or in the By-Laws of the 
Corporation, shall, subject to the limitations prescribed by law, have and 
may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the 
management of the business and affairs of the Corporation and may authorize 
the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it. 
Such committee or committees shall have such name or names as may be provided 
in the By-Laws of the Corporation or as may be determined from time to time 
by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors.

                  (e) To adopt such pension, retirement, deferred compensation
or other employee benefit plans or provisions as may, from time to time, be
approved by it, providing for pensions, retirement income, deferred compensation
or other benefits for officers or employees of the Corporation and of any
corporation which is a subsidiary of the Corporation, or any of them, in
consideration for or in recognition of the services rendered by such officers or
employees or as an inducement to future efforts. No such plan or provision,
which is not at the time of adoption unreasonable or unfair, shall be
invalidated or in any way affected because any director shall be a beneficiary
thereunder or shall vote for any plan or provision under which he may benefit.

                  (f) To exercise, in addition to the powers and authorities
hereinbefore or by law conferred upon it, any such powers and authorities and do
all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation,
subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of the laws of the State of Delaware
and of this Certificate of Incorporation and of the By-Laws of the Corporation.

                                   ARTICLE VI

                        Indemnification of Directors, Officers and Others

                  Section 6.1. Indemnification by Corporation. (a) Any person 
who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, 
pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, 
administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the 
Corporation) by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, 
employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was

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serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or 
agent (including trustee) of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, 
trust or other enterprise, shall be indemnified by the Corporation (funds 
paid or required to be paid to any person as a result of the provisions of 
this Article shall be returned to the Corporation or reduced, as the case may 
be, to the extent that such person receives funds pursuant to an 
indemnification from any such other corporation or organization) against 
expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in 
settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with 
the defense or settlement of such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in 
good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed 
to, the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal 
action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was 
unlawful. Any such person who could be indemnified pursuant to the preceding 
sentence except for the fact that the subject action or suit is or was by or 
in the right of the Corporation shall be indemnified by the Corporation 
against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred 
by him in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit, 
except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue 
or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to 
the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of 
the State of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought 
shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability 
but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and 
reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of 
Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

                  (b) To the extent that a director, officer, employee or 
agent of the Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in 
defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in paragraph (a) of 
this Section 1, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, 
including the dismissal of an action without prejudice, he shall be 
indemnified by the Corporation against expenses (including attorneys' fees) 
actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith without the 
necessity of any action being taken by the Corporation other than the 
determination, in good faith, that such defense has been successful. In all 
other cases wherein indemnification is provided by this Article, unless 
ordered by a court, indemnification shall be made by

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the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination 
that indemnification of the director, officer, employee or agent is proper in 
the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct 
specified in this Article. Such determination shall be made (1) by the Board 
of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were 
not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, or (2) if such a quorum is 
not obtainable, or, even if obtainable, a quorum of disinterested directors 
so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (3) by the 
holders of a majority of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation 
entitled to vote thereon.

                  (c) The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by 
judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or 
its equivalent shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person 
seeking indemnification did not act in good faith and in a manner which he 
reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the 
Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had 
reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. Entry of a 
judgment by consent as part of a settlement shall not be deemed a final 
adjudication of liability for negligence or misconduct in the performance of 
duty, nor of any other issue or matter.

                  (d) Expenses incurred by an officer or director in 
defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the 
Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or 
proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by the director, officer, employee 
or agent involved to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined 
that he is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation. Such expenses 
incurred by other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and 
conditions, if any, as the Board of Directors deems appropriate.

                  (e) The indemnification and advancement of expenses hereby 
provided shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those 
seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any 
by-law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or 
otherwise, both as to action in an official capacity and as to action in 
another capacity while holding such office, and shall continue as to a person 
who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure 
to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such person.

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                  (f) By action of the Board of Directors, notwithstanding 
any interest of the directors in the action, the Corporation, at its expense, 
may purchase and maintain insurance, in such amounts as the Board of 
Directors deems appropriate, on behalf of any person who is or was a 
director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving 
at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent 
(including trustee) of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust 
or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him and incurred 
by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or 
not the Corporation shall have the power to indemnify him against such 
liability under the provisions of this Article or under the provisions of the 
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

                  (g) All rights to indemnification and advancement of 
expenses under this Article shall be deemed to be provided by contract 
between the Corporation and the director, officer, employee or agent who 
serves in such capacity at any time while these by-laws and other relevant 
provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and other 
applicable law, if any, are in effect.

                  (h) Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraphs 
by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right 
or protection of a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation 
existing at the time of such repeal or modification.

                  (i) If the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware 
is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the 
personal liability of directors, officers, employees or agents, then such 
person, in addition to the circumstances in which he is not now personally 
liable, shall be free of liability to the fullest extent permitted by the 
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as so amended.

                  (j) For purposes of this Article, references to "the 
Corporation" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any 
constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed 
in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, 
would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, 
employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, 
employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at 
the request of such constituent corporation as a

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director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, 
joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position 
under the provisions of this Article with respect to the resulting or 
surviving corporation as he would have with respect to such constituent 
corporation if its separate existence had continued.

                  (k) For purposes of this Article, references to "other 
enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" 
shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any 
employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the 
Corporation" shall include any services as a director, officer, employee or 
agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, 
such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to any employee 
benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in 
good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the interest of 
the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be 
deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the 
Corporation", as referred to in this Article.

                  (1) If this Article or any portion thereof shall be 
invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the 
Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each person as provided above as to 
expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in 
settlement with respect to any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, 
criminal, administrative or investigative, including a grand jury proceeding 
and an action by the Corporation, to the full extent permitted by any 
applicable portion of this Article that shall not have been invalidated by 
any other applicable law.

                                   ARTICLE VII

                      Director Liability to the Corporation

                  Section 7.1. Director Liability. (a) A director of the 
Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its 
stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of fiduciary duty as a 
director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's duty of 
loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions 
not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing 
violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the General Corporation Law

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of the State of Delaware, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director 
derived an improper personal benefit.

                  (b) Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraph 
(a) by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any 
right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of 
such repeal or modification.

                  (c) If the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware 
is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the 
personal liability of directors, then a director of the Corporation, in 
addition to the circumstances in which he is not now personally liable, shall 
be free of liability to the fullest extent permitted by the General 
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as so amended.

                                  ARTICLE VIII

                   Reservation of Right to Amend Certificate of Incorporation

                  Section 8.1. Amendment.  The Corporation reserves the right 
to amend, alter, change or repeal any provisions contained in this 
Certificate of Incorporation in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by 
law, and all the provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation and all 
rights and powers conferred in this Certificate of Incorporation on 
stockholders, directors and officers are subject to this reserved power.

                                   ARTICLE IX

                                 Reorganization

                  Section 9.1. Reorganization. Whenever a compromise or 
arrangement is proposed between this Corporation and its creditors or any 
class of them and/or between this Corporation and its stockholders or any 
class of them, any court of equitable jurisdiction within the State of 
Delaware may, on the application in a summary way of this Corporation or of 
any creditor or stockholder thereof or on the application of any receiver or 
receivers appointed for this Corporation under the provisions of Section 291 
of Title 8 of the Delaware Code or on the application of trustees in 
dissolution or of any receiver or receivers appointed for the Corporation 
under the provisions of Section 279 of Title 8 of

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the Delaware Code order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, 
and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as 
the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said court directs. If 
a majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors or 
class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of the stockholders 
of this Corporation, as the case may be, agree to any compromise or 
arrangement and to any reorganization of this Corporation as consequence of 
such compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the 
said reorganization shall, if sanctioned by the court to which the said 
application has been made, be binding on all the creditors or class of 
creditors, and/or on all the stockholders or class of stockholders, of this 
Corporation, as the case may be, and also on this Corporation.

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, PATHMARK STORES, INC. has caused this 
Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by its Chairman and 
President and attested by its Secretary on the   20th    day of June, 1997.

                                                PATHMARK STORES, INC.


                                                By: /s/James L. Donald
                                                    -----------------------
                                                Name: James L. Donald
                                                Title: Chairman, President and
                                                       Chief Executive Officer

ATTEST:


By:    /s/Marc A. Strassler
   ---------------------------
Name:  Marc A. Strassler
Title: Secretary

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