While restaurants are notorious for being risky business as a result of ever-rising costs, access to capital, and consumer popularity, location, location, location is still everything. Several franchise and independent restaurateurs tell us the story of their love affair with Newark, especially Downtown Newark.
Marc begins to egg on his brother Michael, “Tell her what happened on Day 3,” Then, the Brummer brothers, whose family have owned Hobby’s Delicatessen since 1962, begin to recount how their dad reopened their shop during the rebellion in 1967. “The national guard closed downtown so dad had been closed for two days. On the third day, he drove around and picked up his whole staff in his station wagon,” they recounted. “Dad told the national guard, ‘I’m going in.’ We have been open from that day forward.” Check out more of our interview with the Brummer brothers at www.destinationnewark.net for more of that story.
In the meantime, read on to find out what makes restaurant mogul Adenah Bayoh build her empire in Newark, or why Tim Jensen thinks Newark is the best place for his second location. The love stories go on and on.
Marc and Michael Brummer, owners
Hobby’s Delicatessen
Location: 32 Branford Place
Hobby’s Delicatessen stands as a timeless hub where tradition, flavor and community intertwine—an enduring symbol of Downtown Newark’s rich culinary heritage. Rated “Top Ten Delicatessen in America‘’ by Food and Wine Magazine, Hobby’s Deli has been located in Downtown Newark for over 100 years. The Brummer family has run the restaurant since 1962 and still pickles their corned beef in fifty-gallon stainless steel vats.
Though many have asked Hobby’s to move to the suburbs, the brothers share that Newark is home. Hobby’s Place, the name of the street near the delicatessen, is home.
“We’re in the middle of everything here—the state courts are over here, the Prudential Center, NJPAC, City Hall, and the federal courts—we’re centrally located here. It’s an easy place for people to get to,” says Brummer.
Tim Jensen, owner
Jersey Mike’s
Location: 52 New Street
In 2022, Jersey Mike’s franchise owner Tim Jensen decided to open a location in the heart of Newark’s University Heights section. His reasoning: economic redevelopment, access to college students, the Prudential Center and local hospitals.
“I have been following the developments for probably the past 10 years. I really like what’s been done on Halsey Street with the Hahnes Building renovation, the Whole Foods and the apartments throughout downtown. I thought putting a Jersey Mike’s there was a no-brainer.”
Recently, Jensen’s store partnered with The Valerie Fund at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center to benefit cancer patients and their families.
“You just have to do right by the community that you are in. I think that is a big part of our success here at Jersey Mike’s,” he says. “You just go into a community and try to do good things for the community, whether it’s sponsoring sports teams or doing fundraisers with schools. Try to make the neighborhood you’re in better and by being in it, you’ll get better.”
Dario, owner
Dario’s Tex Mex
Location: 20 Academy Street
Dario’s Tex Mex is a cherished institution that has been a flavorful cornerstone of Downtown Newark for 22 years. At the helm is owner Dario, who fancies himself a maestro of hospitality who not only knows the art of crafting mouthwatering dishes but also remembers every patron, greeting them with a personalized touch that turns each visit into a warm, familiar embrace.
“This city, and this Downtown Newark, has been instrumental for our success,” says Dario. “It’s a community that has been with us and behind us for many, many years. That’s why we’re here, and why we continue to do what we do.”
At the corner of Halsey Street, Dario’s is a bustling center of activity where the aroma of tacos, quesadillas and burritos beckon locals, workers from nearby corporations, and students from Rutgers, NJIT and Essex County College.
Adenah Bayoh, owner
IHOP
2 Locations:
915 Broad St (Downtown)
109 Bergen Street
When restaurateur and real estate developer Adenah Bayoh attempted to open her first IHOP, she was turned down–first by the franchise and then by seven banks because she lacked restaurant experience.
“I knew there was a community and there was a market here,” Bayoh says. “I persisted.”
Today, Bayoh is the owner of four IHOP franchises–two which are located in Newark.
When Bayoh purchased an already established restaurant at 109 Bergen Street, it was on the verge of closing. Fifty employees were expected to lose their jobs and it would have added an eye sore to the community. With Bayoh’s purchase in 2017, she was able to renovate the location, hire additional staff and revamp the menu.
Bayoh owns Brick City Vegan and Cornbread, both located at 915 Broad Street in an 84-unit residential and commercial building co-developed by Bayoh.
“Newark often does not get a fair display of humanity of the people who stayed in the city,” she says. “Newark was my safe haven for so many years. I couldn’t wait to return to this city to tell a different story— that we are people trying to build our community from nothing.”
George Tenedios, co-owner
fresh&co
Location: The Junction at Gateway Center,
Floor 2
As a college student at nearby Fairleigh Dickinson University, fresh&co co-founder George Tenedios, discovered that a lifestyle brand offering healthy and casual food options was scant. In 2010, Tenedios founded fresh&co as a family-owned restaurant group. It now has 17 locations in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Florida. Partnering with local farmers, the franchise is providing hyper-local seasonal fruits and vegetables to its restaurants.
Tenedios decided to open the fresh&co location in The Junction at Gateway because of its proximity to Newark Penn Station, the transit hub that sees 50,000 commuters daily.
“I was very intrigued (when presented with The Junction location) because at that point we weren’t in the New Jersey market, we were only in New York and Florida,” Tenedios says. “It’s close enough to Manhattan where we already had a brand identity. Whether you work in an office or live in the area or are just commuting back and forth via Newark Penn Station, we bring a healthy perspective to what breakfast, lunch, and dinner could look like.”
