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RED BANK: CHURNING OUT A THIRD VENTURE

toss'd erica lieberman nick napoletano 010820Erica Lieberman and Nick Napoletano in their third Monmouth Street restaurant, called Toss’d. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

red bank, nj, retail, retail churnWhat’s the secret to surviving as owners in Red Bank’s crowded dining market?

In this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn, a pair of accidental restaurateurs share some insights as they prepare to launch their third concurrent venture in the heart of downtown.

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WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? MR. PIZZA’S SLICE & DOG

050416mrpizza7An original-recipe pie fresh from the oven. Carlos Rosas tosses dough for a pizza, below. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

050416mrpizza10Self-styled devotees of Mr. Pizza Slice raised quite an uproar when redbankgreen reported the Red Bank stalwart was under new ownership and — heaven forbid — would be updating both the decor and menu.

The beloved Monmouth Street hole-in-the-wall on has now been refurbished with, among other touches, exposed brick walls that replace cheap paneling, giving the room a cozier feel than the laundromat vibe of its predecessor.

More importantly, new owners Nick Napoletano and Tom Cappello had a fantastic idea when they decided to keep a favorite menu item while bringing in plenty of new ones, including impressive sandwiches and gourmet, New York-style pies.
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RED BANK: MR. PIZZA SLICE RETURNS

mr pizza 030316HOT-TOPIC_03After a two-month gut-job remodeling, Red Bank’s beloved Mr. Pizza Slice was back in business Thursday morning, according to a Twitter post by Red Bank RiverCenter. The fully renovated Monmouth Street mainstay features longtime owner Steve Napolitani‘s pizza recipe, as well as dishes by new owners Tom Cappello of Gaetano’s and Nick Napoletano of Whipped Bites.

Also expected to be back in business: the restaurant’s long-busted Ms. Pac-Man machine. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

RED BANK: MR. PIZZA SLICE TO KEEP RECIPE

010916pizzaslice1Nick Napoletano shows one of the windows discovered beneath the paneling at Mr. Pizza Slice. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

HOT-TOPIC_03After getting pounded flat and spun in the air by commenters, the new owners of Mr. Pizza Slice in Red Bank have reversed course and decided to keep the old pizza recipe on the menu.

As the cheesy paneling came down inside the Monmouth Street slice-and-soda joint earlier this week, new co-owner Nick Napoletano told PieHole that longtime owner Steve Napolitani‘s pizza recipe would be preserved, along with his “signature” fries and hot dogs.

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RED BANK: MR. PIZZA SOLD; SICILIA CLOSES

mr. pizza slice 010116Two downtown restaurateurs have acquired Mr. Pizza Slice on Monmouth Street. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallA non-nonsense staple from the days before Red Bank became flooded with chic eateries, Mr. Pizza Slice has changed hands for the second time in two years.

This time, the buyers are the owners of two downtown restaurants. They closed the pizzeria last week for what they expect will be a month or so of interior and exterior renovations, one of them told redbankgreen’s Retail Churn Monday.

Also closed last week: Sicilia Cafe, on Broad Street, which was acquired by first-time restaurateurs just six months ago.

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RED BANK: FEW CHANGES FOR MR. PIZZA SLICE

mrpizzasliceAfter a 16-year apprenticeship, Phil Sloan is ready for the title of Mr. Pizza Slice.  (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)

By JIM WILLIS

It’s been a month since Steve Napolitani retired as Red Bank’s ‘Mr. Pizza Slice.’ So, after a period of respectful mourning, redbankgreen‘s Piehole stopped in at the Monmouth Street institution to see how the new guy, Phil Sloan, was doing filling the shoes that Napolitani wore for 44 years.

“So far, so good,” says Sloan. “Some people may have thought that when Steve [Napolitani] retired, we all retired. But we’re still here.”

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RED BANK: MR. PIZZA SLICE RETIRES

From Dori Kerschner, owner of Wooly Monmonouth, who shot this video Wedneday: “After 44 years, Steve Napolitani, the owner of Mr. Pizza Slice, sells his iconic pizza shop located in downtown Red Bank, NJ.” The rest speaks for itself.  (Video by Dori Kerschner. Click to enlarge)

MIXED REACTIONS FOR NEW METER RATES

meterfeeder11Matthew Shubitz thumbs through a handful of change Friday to round up enough to satisfy Red Bank’s new meter rates. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi)

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

It’s been a little more than a month since Red Bank doubled curbside parking meter rates downtown, jacking the fees from 50 cents and hour to a dollar.

Borough officials made the move, which also included a 33-percent increase to permit fees, in part to put a tourniquet on a $10,000-a-month bleed from town coffers that began when free Saturday parking took effect in early 2009.

So how has it been working out?

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