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RED BANK: FOOD, AND MORE, IN CHURN

Ivan Lopez and friend outside the newly opened Toro Rojo Parrilla Mexicana on Shrewsbury Avenue. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallTwo food-based businesses departed Red Bank last month – one after 21 years, the other after just a few days.

But the shopping and dining scene also saw the quick revival of a vacant restaurant space, the opening of a new Pilates studio and more activity.

Read all about it in this edition of Retail Churn.

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RED BANK: RESTAURANTS IN CHURN

Catch 19 will close and a new restaurant will replace it, its owner says. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallIn this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn: piping-hot news of changes at two restaurants in downtown Red Bank.

Though one is closing and the other is newly opened, for the owners of both, the appeal of the Broadwalk seasonal dining and shopping plaza remains strong four years in.

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RED BANK: SMOKED MEATS, PLUS CLAY, IN CHURN

Gleaming displays at Salt & Smoke, on Prospect Avenue. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallRed Bank may have lost one of its oldest neighborhood butcher shops last summer, but new owners are giving the space a new, spicier lease on life.

Also in this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn, a pottery instruction business takes over a tiny, hard-to-see spot in the heart of downtown.

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RED BANK: CHEESE SHOP OPENS

red bank, nj, retail, retail churnA new specialty cheese shop has opened in Red Bank, adding momentum to an ongoing transformation of the downtown business district’s southern end.  More →

RED BANK: ITALIAN ICE, LOBSTER ROLLS COMING

The future location of Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard on West Front Street. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallRed Bank’s booming food scene is in for some new additions soon: a Rita’s Italian Ice shop and a Mystic Lobster Roll.

Also: a hair stylist has found a single answer to the questions of where to operate his salon and where to live.

Read all about them in this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn.

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RED BANK: NEW CULINARY DELIGHTS ABOUND

Michelle Storey in her new Fable Creamery vegan ice cream shop on Monmouth Street. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallRecent weeks have brought a veritable groaning board of new culinary offerings to Red Bank: breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

Read all about the insane buffet in this winter-doldrums edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn. More →

RED BANK: CHEESE, OUT; E-BIKES, CRYSTALS IN

EV Motion plans to open soon in the space last occupied by the Red Bank Family Pharmacy. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallComing soon to downtown Red Bank: an electric bicycle store.

The district is also home to a new beach-themed gift shop, and about to get another crystals-based “wellness” retailer. But it’s also losing a beloved cheese shop, redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn has learned.

Read about all the latest changes below.

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RED BANK: FOUR BUSINESSES EXPAND

Sweetest Sin owner Angela Courtney is doubling the size of her lingerie boutique on White Street. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallWith their eyes on growth, four established Red Bank businesses are seizing opportunities to expand their presence downtown, redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn has learned.

Among them are three retailers who have found ways to survive online shopping, the coronavirus pandemic and other challenges that have crushed so many in their sector.

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RED BANK: MEXICAN, GREEK EATERIES DEBUT

Mi Lupita’s Kitchen has opened at 78 Bridge Avenue. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallRed Bank’s busy restaurant scene has two new entrants bringing traditions both cultural and familial to the table.

Read all about them, as well as a new smoke shop, in this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn.

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RED BANK: GUITARS, TOYS & TABLES CHURN IN

Relic Music owner Mike Nicosia with one of the Dunable guitars his shop carries. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Amid a booming market for six-stringed instruments, a boutique retailer of electric guitars has opened in downtown Red Bank.

Also in this edition of Retail Churn: a new combo toy and sports memorabilia shop, and a Ukrainian maker of custom tables and jewelry making its United States landfall, both on Broad Street.

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RED BANK: SALLY BOY’S TAKES CORNER SPOT

Erin Oakley of Fantastic Signs installing temporary signs for Sally Boy’s restaurant at 1 Broad Street Thursday. (Photo by Allan Bass. Click to enlarge.)

See UPDATE below

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallSeven years after its last occupant left, one of Red Bank’s most visible retail spaces is finally getting set for a new one.

Read all about in this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn.

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RED BANK: KNITTING ‘STUDIO’ SET TO OPEN

Vidar and Laurie Brekke in the new Mother Knitter shop on Broad Street. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallIn this, the first Retail Churn update of autumn, 2021, we turn our attention to sweaters, hats and mittens.

That’s because downtown Red Bank is about to get a new yarn shop, one that its owners envision as a “studio” for knitting and crocheting enthusiasts.

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RED BANK: FASHION, GOLF & MORE IN CHURN

Daniela Perez and her mother, Nelly, opened Moda Latina on Shrewsbury Avenue this week. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallIn this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn, a clothing store and an indoor golf facility make their debuts in Red Bank.

Also: we’ve got an update on a short-lived West Side pharmacy. Read on…

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RED BANK: SEAFOOD, YARN & ART IN CHURN

Mario Segundo has opened Mariscos Marlin, a Mexican seafood restaurant, in the Galleria of Red Bank. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallThe owner of a new Red Bank restaurant quit his job in auto repair to open his first business in the space vacated by friends earlier this year.

Also in this summer-doldrums edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn: a Norwegian knitting store and a health spa plan openings, and a group of artists hope to hang onto their space.

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RED BANK: MORE RESTAURANTS COMING

Elli’s Backyard plans to open in the space vacated last year by Via 45. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallGoing all-in, a young restaurateur plans to open his first business venture in downtown Red Bank in coming weeks.

That story and more in this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn.

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RED BANK: JEWELERS RETIRE, SELL BUILDING

Vance Valente at Quicksilver Handcrafted Jewelry on Saturday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallThis edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn might be titled “keeping churn to a minimum.”

Because while we’re reporting the closure of a downtown shop – due to retirement, not the economy – the change comes with a significant real estate deal aimed at keeping small shops alive.

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RED BANK: SKATE SHOP ROLLS INTO TOWN

Feet First opens on Monmouth Street, having skated across the Navesink from Middletown. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallIn this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn: a skateboard shop rolls into downtown Red Bank, a comic book shop relocates, and the pandemic economy claims another handful of stores.

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RED BANK: SPLASHY ‘STASH’ WINDOWS OK’D

A rendering shows the window clings that will cover one side of the vestibule of the new Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash. (Image by South Shore Sign Company. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njWith filmmaker Kevin Smith deploying some characteristically colorful language, Red Bank’s Historic Preservation Commission endorsed splashy signage at the new home of Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash Wednesday night.

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RED BANK: ‘STASH’ SIGNAGE UP FOR REVIEW

Filmmaker Kevin Smith  is in the process of relocating his store to 65 Broad Street, seen above in 2014. Below, illustrations filed with the HPC application. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank’s Historic Preservation Commission is slated to review plans for signage on three Broad Street businesses Wednesday night: a new pizzeria, a new juice bar, and the new home of Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.

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RED BANK: BREAD-BASED CAFÉ TO OPEN

michele ellis great harvest 102020 2Michele Ellis in her new restaurant on Broad Street. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallWith restaurants struggling through historically poor conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it might seem absolutely nuts to start a new one.

But the owner of a bread-based eatery that plans to open in Red Bank this week says key lessons of the past eight months are, well, baked into her plan.

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RED BANK: COVID-19 CLAIMS TWO BUSINESSES

Claudette Herring and Lauren Phillips at Via45 Monday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

retail churn smallIt was a day of mixed emotions for the owners of two Red Bank businesses as they closed up shop Monday.

At Via45, restaurateurs Lauren Phillips and Claudette Herring ended an 11-year run on Broad Street. Around the corner on Monmouth Street, Marissa Clifford oversaw the final children’s birthday party at Paint A Tee.

This 400th installment of Retail Churn has the details on those latest economic victims of the pandemic and other changes in the downtown mix.

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