Triumph Brewing won approval to add outdoor dining on the Edmund Wilson Boulevard side of the building, facing the Two River Theater. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
It’s been a couple of years, literally, in development, and yet the only person who can say when Red Bank’s Triumph Brewing Company might open has been steadfastly mum.
Well, finally, there’s some news.
Triumph Brewing owner Adam Rechnitz, left, and landlord Chris Cole at Thursday night’s zoning board meeting. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
Triumph owner Adam Rechnitz, armed with the array of planners and lawyers typical for a zoning board hearing, appeared before the board Thursday night seeking approval for outdoor dining at the restaurant, which was originally greeenlit in 2006 and began construction two or three years ago.
The outdoor plan met no resistance. Seating would be along the Edmund Wilson Boulevard side of the West Side Lofts building in which Triumph is a tenant, facing the Two River Theater, founded by Rechnitz’s parents, Joan and Bob Rechnitz, of Middletown. An overhead “hopyard” trellis would grow hops.
“It is a brewing company, so it’s a perfect fit,” planner Jason Fichter told the board.
Approval of the plan, along with variances for signage, was unanimous.
Foremost on everyone’s mind, it seemed, was the one voiced by board member Sean Murphy: so when is this place finally going to open?
“Very soon,” Fichter said.
redbankgreen tried without success to nail down more specificity from Rechnitz in the hallway.
“Soon,” he said, after a long pause.
And what’s taking so long?
“We’re very fussy,” he said, after another pause.