Under the Glass, a new pinball lounge opening April 15 in the basement of 7 Broad Street. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge)
By Brian Donohue
How’s this plan for an afternoon sound in our $4 a gallon gas economy: a solid, healthy lunch and an hour scream-out-loud fun, all for under $25?
It’s at your fingertips if you visit two new businesses in Red Bank: Kenny’s Meals, a grab-and-go prepared meal shop place on Monmouth Street, and Under the Glass, a new “pinball speakeasy” opening Wednesday in a basement at 7 Broad Street.
Read on for all the protein-packed, bonus-ball details, along with updates on other businesses coming to Red Bank, in this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn.
Under the Glass owners Brian Klatsky (left) and Ed Haran. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
When I pulled back the plunger on the Harry Potter pinball machine at Under the Glass, the new pinball lounge at 7 Broad Street, I didn’t expect to be screaming out loud in excitement moments later.
But the speed at which the ball was fired back at me by the Death Eater figure, the multiple balls pinging around and the video storyline playing on the screen all made me realize these are not Grandpa Roger Daltry’s pinball machines.
And this is not a retro arcade, but rather a place to play some of the newest, most advanced pinball machines on the market, most of them manufactured by Jersey Jack Pinball.
Under the Glass is owned by two longtime pinball fanatics, Ed Haran and Brian Klatsky. Haran is a retired longtime collector of pinball machines. Klatsky runs Gold Coast Wealth Management just down Broad street, and is also a longtime fan and collector.
Combined with the nationally-known comic book shop Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, the board game shop Jersey Shore Gamers and retro arcade Yestercades, all within a two-block radius, Klatsky thinks the lounge will add to Red Bank’s reputation as a place to come, spend the day and take in a range of pop culture experiences.
Or for locals, the place can just be a great option for the kids, a unique date night or a spot to rent for a private party.
There are two Harry Potter machines at the newly opened Under the Glass, in a separate Hogwarts-themed room decorated with lanterns and wizardy touches to fill out the vibe.
“These are probably the best games ever made,” Klatsky said of the Harry Potter machines.
There’s also a Stranger Things room with a machine based on the Netflix Series. There’s an Elton John pinball machine, three Pokémon themed machines, a Jaws machine, and a Godfather machine I’m itching to go back and play. There’s also Pac Man, table hockey, and Xbox and Nintendo Switch machine for gamers.
“We expect a lot of families in the daytime and expect more of an adult crowd at night,” Klatsky said.
There are couches and chairs, and TV to catch a game. Adults can bring in their own adult beverages, there’s a soda fountain with unlimited refills. They have a partnership with Sally Boy’s Pizza (two doors north at 1 Broad Street) through which customers can order in food. Oh, and you can also buy or rent the machines. The place is a showroom, too.
All machines are set to free play. A full day pass costs $20 with a one-hour pass priced at $12.50. They officially open on Wednesday, April 15.
Operating Hours:
- Monday – Thursday: 3:00 PM – 11:00 PM
- Friday: 12:00 PM – 1:00 AM
- Saturday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Kenny’s Meals at 120 Monmouth Street.
Ok, let’s keep on Churning:
Kenny’s Meals, a grab-and-go meal shop with all meals priced at ten bucks, has opened on the ground floor of a new apartment building at 120 Monmouth Street, a half block west of the intersection with Pearl Street.
There’s no sign on the building, but word is out to a sufficient extent that we saw a Red Bank Police Department sergeant leaving with a week’s worth of meals. Oh, and a spawn of the Churnster has also started having a week’s worth of meals from the place delivered every Sunday.
If the kids and the cops are eating there, maybe this Kenny dude is onto something.
When we stopped in, manager Javon Hodge showed us around the 40 offerings stacked in the refrigerators, from Peruvian ground beef with jasmine rice, maduro and aji sauce to Hawaiian pork with pineapple, brown rice and Thai chili sauce. The meals come in a bamboo-based container and can be heated in a microwave at home or at the store. There’s also a selection of energy drinks and protein bars. 
All the meals are cooked at a facility in Morrisville, PA (across the river from Trenton) and delivered daily to five Kenny’s Meals locations in Lawrence, Marlton, Bordentown, Newtown PA, and of course, Red Bank.
A brochure on the counter says the biz’s mission is “to offer meals that are not only affordable, but also nutritious and delicious.”
In other Churn news:
There are finally visible signs of construction going on at 74 Broad Street where Insomnia Cookies announced in September they’d be opening up a location in the building. That storefront at perhaps the town’s most prominent intersection has been vacant since 2018.
A martial arts business called Red Bank Muay Thai has announced on Instagram they’ll be taking over the space at 65 Broad Street, next to the bubble tea/dessert spot Kori Kori.
The space had been home to the vape shop Smoke Theory, which we, like, totally have no idea, like wha’apend to it.
