Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

RED BANK: CHOCOLATIER SIGNS FOR BROAD

65-broad-073014-500x375-4321979A Chocolate Works franchise has leased 65 Broad Street. (Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Rcsm2_010508The rapid transformation of downtown Red Bank into an epicurean destination continues with the planned addition of another dessert-and-treats option.

A Manalapan woman signed a lease this week to open a Chocolate Works shop at 65 Broad Street, near the corner of Wallace Street.

If approved by borough officials, the shop would join the ranks of the Red Bank Chocolate Shoppe on White Street, as well as a handful of cake and cupcake shops to have sprouted in recent years, including Sugarush, Cupcake Magician, Whipped Bites and Carlo’s Bakery, not to mention a cluster of ice cream and frozen yogurt vendors.

The storefront was briefly occupied by Poor Cat Designs, and in recent years has been home to a home furnishings store, a guitar store, two carpet merchants and a health food store. Poor Cat, a jewelry shop, recently hopped a few doors south, taking over space vacated by Ten Thousand Villages crafts shop.

See why we call this thing Retail Churn?

Chocolate Shop owner Randi Garfinkel, of course, is hoping for a longer tenancy. After stints in corporate sales and real estate sales, the 41-year-old has decided to embrace her passion for treats and turn a longtime hobby into a business, she tells Churn.

She “fell in love with the Chocoloate Works” concept after visiting a franchise shop opened last December by a friend on Long Island, she says. Also impressive, she said, that all the chocolate used is from Belgium.

“It didn’t take long for me to realize it was a great opportunity,” she says, adding that she and her family have long been frequent visitors downtown. The chain has 10 locations listed on its website, with three more coming soon, not including Garfinkel’s.

Garfinkel hopes to open in time for the year-end holidays, but first, says she plans “a lot of construction to the space.” According to plans filed with the borough, that includes the replacement of the old-fashioned, 20-foot-deep recessed “show windows” foyer with an entryway just four feet deep.

The design changes also call for the creation of a room available for birthday parties, Girl Scout gatherings, corporate events and more, she says.

The plan requires a stop at either the planning or zoning board for a parking variance. No hearing has yet been scheduled.

Joann Clark of Blue Winn Realty handled the lease deal.

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
RED BANK’S FINEST – AND NEWEST
Red Bank Police Officer Eliot Ramos was sworn in as the force’s newest patrolman Thursday, and if you’re doing a double take thinkin ...
EASTER EGG MAYHEM AT THE PARK
An errant whistle spurred an unexpectedly early start to the Spring Egg Hunt on Sunday, which had been scheduled to begin at eggsactly 11am ...
PRESEASON DOCKWORK
RED BANK: With winter winding down, marina gets ready for boating season with some dockwork on our beautiful Navesink River.
CORNED BEEF AND DISCO FRIES?
It’s Friday, and smart Lent-observing Leprechauns know the pot of gold at the end of Red Bank’s rainbow is actually the deliciou ...
SURFBOARD DITCHED
It’s a violation of etiquette in surfing to ditch your board.  (it could hit another surfer and hurt them). But someone appears to ha ...
ELSIE, TAKE ME WITH YOU!
Soaked by pouring rain with the temperature hovering in the low 40’s, this sign in the window of Elsie’s Subs on Monmouth Street ...
WALK THIS WAY
PARTYLINE: Before-and-afters of a sidewalk cleanup on West Street.
SOGGY NOTION
RED BANK: Breezeway sculpture captured the mood downtown as heavy rains fell Saturday morning.
HOME DELIVERY
RED BANK: After a subdivision, an instant house rises on a new Catherine Street lot.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
For Black History Month, Red Bank's Community Engagement and Equity Advisory Committee has been running a series of local profiles on Facebo ...
HEARTY FAREWELL FOR HARDY
RED BANK: Council to honor DPU supervisor Rich Hardy, who retired recently after almost 39 years of keeping things running.
HOMEBOUND? READ ON…
RED BANK: Can't get to the public library? It's now offering free delivery and pickups for homebound borough residents.
TAMING A BEAST OF A WEEK
RED BANK: After the second snowfall of the week, a borough family finds the perfect use for it – a Godzilla snow sculpture.
RED BANK: LIBRARY CLOSED, BUT THE HILL’S OPEN
RED BANK: Though the library was closed by a snowstorm, kids got to enjoy the riverfront property's steep slope Tuesday.
LIGHT(HOUSE) MAKEOVER
This year, getting ready for spring means a midwinter makeover for Strollo's Lighthouse in Red Bank.
TODAY: LOCAL PUPPY COMPETES ON ANIMAL PLANET’S “PUPPY BOWL”
Red Bank’s very own rescue puppy, Biscuit, is set to compete in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl this Sunday, February 11, at 2 PM. Th ...
WHAT? NO redbankgreen NEWSLETTER?
Apologies to redbankgreen newsletter subscribers: the daily email hasn’t gone out for two days because of technical issues.
RED BANK: TIRED OF SKEETERS?
RED BANK: Tired of mosquito bites every summer? Monmouth County has a free program to help eliminate skeeter breeding grounds.
SEA BRIGHT: POLAR PLUNGE FOR ST. JAMES, OTHERS
Hundreds braved the wind and sea on Sunday at 1PM in support of St. James Elementary School, and other Catholic schools in the area. The eve ...
RED BANK: RBR CLAIMS TITLE
RED BANK: Watch pure joy as the RBR boys basketball team celebrates its first B North championship in 17 years.