New Business

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Yarnstormers Gives Knitters a New Place to Meet and Create

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Cranford YarnStormers, located at 10 Alden Street, has opened its doors! Thank you to Cranford Area Chamber of Commerce, Cranford Mayor Brian Andrews, Township Commissioner Kathleen Prunty, and DMC Board members who joined us in welcoming owner Teresa Murray, her husband Tom Usinowicz, and their children to the Downtown Cranford community.

Teresa is a longtime knitter who started yarnbombing during the pandemic and ended up recruiting other knitters to join her. “Cranford was where the Yarnstormers started,” said Teresa. “I can’t imagine opening my business anywhere else.” Teresa yearned to have a community space for people to knit and create, and now she has that with her Alden Street space. In addition, Yarnstormers sells a selection of yarn at different price points, as well as kits for children and other knitting supplies. In the future, Teresa plans to offer classes and workshops. This Saturday, Yarnstormers will be hosting a trunk show from 11AM-4PM with NJ Fiberworks, which sells one of a kind, hand dyed yarn.

Teresa beams when asked what lesson she hopes her children learn from her venture into business ownership. “I want them to learn that it’s never too late to create something of your own and try something new!” The pride of Teresa’s family is evident and we’re so happy that a new, vibrant, and unique business is joining our downtown community.

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Lokal Coffee Offers Customers a Place to Gather While Enjoying Breakfast, Lunch & Coffee

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Lokal Coffee & Co. has officially opened its doors at 103 Miln Street! Lokal Coffee is owned by Jorge Arriola, who started his culinary career as a chef at top restaurants around the world. Though Jorge loved being a chef, working 16 hour days became mentally and physically exhausting and he decided to make the pivot to opening a coffee shop. He wanted his coffee shop to provide customers with a welcoming, laid back, and unpretentious space where they could enjoy coffee and food. The first Lokal Coffee opened in Iselin in 2019, and in a few years Jorge felt ready to open a second location.

Jorge was drawn to Cranford and its reputation for being welcoming to small businesses. “Lokal Coffee is a place where people shouldn’t feel rushed,” said Jorge. “It’s a place to meet and gather while enjoying breakfast, brunch, or lunch with one of our specialty coffee drinks.”

Jorge’s mission is to bring specialty coffee to the suburbs. His family is from Costa Rica, and he also visits coffee farms throughout Latin America a few times a year to check the quality of the beans and develop relationships with the farmers. “All of our coffee is fair trade and it’s a specialty, small batch product. We obtain the beans and then roast them at a roasting facility. We’re there for the whole process, from farm to cup.”

Jorge learned about coffee by reading extensively about it, meeting with farmers, and through a fair amount of trial and error. He’s happy to educate consumers about what makes Lokal’s coffee stand apart, and also operates the business as a learning environment for his staff. “I want our employees to care as much about our product as I do,” said Jorge. “I look for people who want to learn and also aspire to do more, which includes opening their own business down the line.”

Lokal Coffee offers an extensive menu of breakfast, brunch, and lunch options. If customers are in the mood for breakfast they can choose from omelets, pancakes, waffles, french toast, and smoothies. If they’re looking for lunch, Lokal Coffee serves a large variety of sandwiches, including avocado toast, grilled cheese, tuna, and their most popular, turkey club, as well as salads, soups, and more. When it comes to drinks, Lokal Coffee is known for its lattes, which come in flavors like Brown Sugar, Caramel, Raspberry Mocha, and Tate’s Cookie (a customer favorite).

Lokal Coffee is open 7 days a week from 7AM-4PM. For more information, you can follow them on social media or just stop in and see the space for yourself. Welcome to town Jorge and the Lokal Coffee crew. Thank you for choosing Cranford!

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The Team Behind Witch Baby Opens Their 2nd Business in Downtown Cranford

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In 2019, Chelsea Selby opened a storefront in Downtown Cranford selling her popular brand Witch Baby Soap. The focus of Witch Baby Soap is bath and body, but Chelsea often found herself coming across items that she wanted to carry but wouldn’t fit with that space. When the space at 11 North Union Avenue became available, Chelsea and her husband Joe Randazza felt the time was right to expand, and Magick Manor opened its doors earlier this month.

Witch Baby customers would often inquire about home items and Chelsea is happy that she now has a place to sell them. Magick Manor also fulfilled a need that Chelsea had, because, as she says, “I was tired of buying my home goods only at Halloween!” Magick Manor carries a variety of items that are essential for any spiritual household, including art, pillows, cookware, cookbooks, seeds, spices, handmade wreaths, and more. “The items we carry are for people who curate their households with intention, leading to a peaceful and positive space,” said Chelsea.

The addition of a second business allows Chelsea and Joe to introduce their customers to specially selected small businesses. For example, Magick Manor carries the work of Meagan Meli, a Cranford resident and artist who specializes in spooky artwork. Chelsea is used to curating scents for Witch Baby Soap, and now she finds herself curating items for Magick Manor. “I really enjoy being able to support other people’s work, especially when the majority of the businesses we carry are woman-owned,” said Chelsea. “Our focus is on community over competition.”

“Cranford is a special place and its residents offer such strong support for its small businesses,” said Chelsea. “This is our home, and this is where we want to be. We’ve already received incredibly positive feedback from customers who are excited to have a store that represents their personality and offers unique items. We’ll be holding a grand opening for Magick Manor on June 9 and we can’t wait to celebrate with the community.”

Magick Manor is located at 11 North Union Ave and is open Monday-Saturday 11-7 and Sunday 10-5.

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Toast City Diner Announces Plans to Open in Cranford This Fall!

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We are incredibly excited to announce that Toast City Diner will be joining the Downtown Cranford dining scene this fall! Toast Cranford will be taking over the space at 10 Walnut Ave (formerly Red Crab). Please see below for the official press release from Toast.

Toast City Diner is excited to announce the opening of their newest location in the heart of downtown Cranford, NJ. The store is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2023 and will be located on the corner of South and Walnut Avenue next to the Cranford Hotel.

The opening of Toast Cranford marks the start of an exciting future for founder Amy Russo and her partner Adam Torine. With 3 existing locations in Montclair, Asbury Park and Red Bank, this will be the first location that the pair is opening together. The Cranford store will be the first Toast location to showcase the new Toast 2.0 prototype which will feature a new design, updated logo and new signature menu items, while still serving the delicious food that fans of the concept know and love.

"I am so excited to bring this next chapter to downtown Cranford," Russo said. "It is the perfect town to open our next location and we look forward to fully embracing the local residents and visitors to one of the best downtowns in NJ.”

Residents of Cranford can anticipate a superior hospitality experience and delicious meal when dining at Toast, whether they go the simple route with a classic breakfast sandwich on a fresh brioche roll or try one of the signature items like the decadent carrot cake or red velvet pancakes. With such a robust offering of foods and drinks, Toast has something for everyone which makes it the perfect place to gather with family and friends.

“We can't wait to have you join us at Toast Cranford,” Torine remarked.“It will be a fun place for family and friends to enjoy a delicious breakfast, brunch or lunch together! We look forward to becoming a part of the Cranford community which will also serve as our launching point for expansion throughout NJ.”

For more information about Toast Cranford and for updates on the restaurant's progress, please contact us, ToastCityDiner.com

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Don Chicken Brings Its Delicious Korean Fried Chicken to Cranford!

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Don Chicken of Cranford is officially open for business! In the short time that the Korean fried chicken restaurant has been open, customers have already been raving about it! Don Chicken serves up 8 varieties of chicken and customers can choose from wings (their signature item), boneless, and drumsticks. Owner Will, whose brother in law owns a Don Chicken in Ridgewood, says that the Soy Garlic and Sweet and Spicy varieties are most popular. If you’re a heat lover, he recommends Spicy Soy Garlic and Hot Spicy. Sides include Ddukbokki (spicy rice cake that’s a traditional Korean street food), dumplings, Gimmari (glass noodles wrapped with seaweed), and more. “A great combo order is our coleslaw with fried chicken,” said Will.

Don Chicken is located at 12 North Union Ave and its hours of operation are M-Th 11:00-8:30, Fri-Sat 11:30-9:00, and Sun 11:30-8:00. The easiest way to place an order is through their website, https://www.donchickenus.com. “Since we first opened, we’ve been incredibly busy,” said Will. “We even sold out the first few days! But I love being a restaurant owner. We’ve received such good feedback and everyone has been so welcoming. I’m thrilled to join the Downtown Cranford community.”

 
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