Phil Barow, owner of Be Barow, with creative designer Bianca Freda. (Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
This edition of Retail Churn trumpets these new arrivals to downtown Red Bank: a beach-themed home accessories boutique, a women’s workout wear shop, a hair salon and a restaurant.
Opened last month, Candy’s Cottage Coastal Living has settled on Monmouth Street after stays at two locations in Asbury Park and an extended tenancy at Pier Village in Long Branch – two cities that of course compete with Red Bank for foot traffic and consumer spending.
Candy Galekovic with associate Brianna Young at Candy’s Cottage. Below, Victoria Hair & Makeup Beauty Lounge opened in English Plaza. (Click to enlarge)
Owner Candy Galekovic tells Churn she thinks her store opened too early in the Asbury Park renaissance. As for Pier Village, well, it booms in the summer, but “after Labor Day, there’s nothing going on, and the summer doesn’t hold you out the way everyone thinks.”
“I need a town that has year-round foot traffic, and that’s Red Bank,” she said. “Every time I came here, it was always busy.”
To capture the growing evening crowd drawn by restaurants, Galekovic stays open until 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until “eight or nine” on Fridays and Saturdays, and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Candy’s Cottage, at 28 Monmouth Street, sells tableware, wall art and jewelry with “a seaside feel, which doesn’t mean you have to have a beach house” to find a place for it, says Galekovic, who makes picture frames and chandeliers from seashells.
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Women looking for clothing and accessories for yoga, crossfit, running and other workouts will have a new option by the end of this week: Be Barow, at 66 Broad Street, the former home of Love Lane Tuxedos. Owner Phil Barow believes the proximity of Renaissance Pilates, Pure Barre, Dancing Foot Yoga, and other workout studios will make the store a success.
Barow, 37, tells Churn he has a degree in electrical engineering, an MBA from Wharton, was a U.S. Air Force officer and spent time as a private equity consultant. This is his first retail venture.
“My interest is in helping people live their best lives,” he said. “That’s what this business is all about.”
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Jennifer and Leo Luu have opened Victoria Hair & Makeup Beauty Lounge at 58 English Plaza. Doreen Bussey and Kimberly Formato of db. Interiors in Atlantic Highland did the interior design.
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Also open, as of Friday afternoon: Mac Attack Cheesery, where you can get quick-serve “gourmet” grilled cheese sandwiches, macaroni & cheese and other cheesy indulgences.
