Rachel Luce stands inside the planned home of Crazy Story Book at 42 Monmouth Street. (Photos by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
42 Monmouth Street. (Photos by Brian Donohue)
CJ Frank of Benchmark Realty recently inked two leases that promise to breathe new life into the commercial space inside the building that was long home to Famebilia.
With two apartments recently built upstairs and a new brick facade, the building looks unrecognizable compared to the one-story building that sat vacant for years after the memorabilia seller shut down.
Rachel Luce of Fair Haven says she and her husband Max plan to open Crazy Store Books in the 2,400 square foot space on the eastern side of the building by March.
The couple have two children, aged two and four. Luce was laid off in September from the advertising position she had held for 12 years. A former English major, she had always thought of opening an independent bookstore.
“The day I was laid off, and I was honestly, like, happy, because I had been thinking about what I wanted to do next, and then my husband and I were just like, ‘Should we just do the book store? Like, this is the time.'”
She spent some time roaming Red Bank looking for a possible location and knew she had found it when she saw the new space at 42 Monmouth with its high ceilings and huge windows. 
“I walked by this and I was like, ‘oh, my God, this is amazing,” she said standing in the space Monday morning. “It’s perfect.’
She’s hoping to have regular story times for kids, book club meetings and other events.
“I really want it to feel like a community space that has more to offer than just selling books,” she said.
Book lovers will no doubt rejoice at the news.
And to top it, there are plans to open a place next door where you can get breakfast and coffee to enjoy with your new book.
The western portion of the retail space has been rented by Sebastian Balk and his wife Cynthia Noack, who plan to open their second location of Reves Smoothie Cafe. Their first location is in Westfield. Reves offers soft-serve acai with no refined sugars, smoothies, pitaya bowls. Oh and they’ll have coffee too.
Reves owners Cynthia Noack and Sebastian Balk outside their Westfield location. (Photo courtesyof Sebatsian Balk.)
“We want to bring a European Cafe vibe where you can meet your friends, meet your co-workers,” Balk said.
The couple was living in Germany where he was a police officer and she had a management job in the fitness industry. They moved to the US three and a half years ago.
“We wanted to pursue the American Dream,” he said.
In other Churn news:
Cheessteaks, whose website says they are “redefining the classic Philadelphia cheesesteak experience,” announced on social media they’re opening their fifth location in Red Bank.
View this post on Instagram
No address was given on the chain’s Instagram announcement, but it featured a photo of the building at 38 West Front Street next to the Red Bank Elks Club. The building was last home to Paradiddle Griddle and 30 Burgers, which closed their dual location there in February 2024.
Cheessteaks locations are in Kenilworth, Belmar, Merchantville and Brick.
They make insanely delicious-looking cheesesteaks with fresh ribeye, custom baquettes, and (take note) two s’s and two e’s.
Also, as reported on redbankgreen, Street Kitchen Pub is now open at 5 Broad Street and board game shop/lounge Shore Gamers are now in their new location at 42 Broad Street.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331 or yelling his name loudly as he walks by. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
