Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The café and restaurant on Palisade Avenue had only been open under new ownership for about a month when the storm dramatically altered the owners’ plans for change.
The Tea Bar in Fort Lee opened under new ownership in September with innovative ideas for how to retain the best parts of the existing business while adding their own unique touches. Less than a month later, Sandy hit, and the Lee family—Seung and Hyun Lee and their son and daughter Ryan and Kris—were forced to close because of severe damage to the building and the common space of the plaza at 1636 Palisade Ave. It took nearly three weeks before scaffolding was put up and repair work began because of delays with the landlord, the borough and permit issues, and the family-owned and operated café wasn’t able to re-open until Dec. 1. Now back in business but with repair work an ongoing process, it could be a while before the exterior of the …
40.849748
-73.968913
1636 Palisade Ave, Fort Lee, NJ
/articles/fort-lee-s-tea-bar-reopens-more-than-a-month-after-sandy
/locations/8311321
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Cliffside Park resident opened CRE8sART Studio in Fort Lee just a couple of weeks ago and says it’s a place where students of all ages can “access the artist within.”
A new art studio on Main Street in Fort Lee is now offering classes in drawing, painting and composition to students of all ages and artistic skill levels. “My experience as an artist and teacher has given me personal knowledge about how to achieve artistic results,” says painter, instructor, co-owner and manager of CRE8sART Studio Max Khachatryan on the studio’s website. Khachatryan, who also runs an art studio in Brooklyn but lives in Cliffside Park, told Patch the Fort Lee location has only been open for a couple of weeks and called it “a great place for kids and adults to be creative.” Khachatryan starts children as young as four years old painting on plaster miniatures—some of cartoon characters—which are spray-varnished when finished…
40.85122
-73.9704
210 Main St, Fort Lee, NJ
/articles/new-fort-lee-art-studio-offers-instruction-to-children-adults
/locations/8301483
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Locally owned businesses across the county are benefitting from Small Business Saturday
One day after the biggest shopping day of the holiday season, small businesses in Bergen County continued to see an uptick in sales as consumers continued to spend and support their local businesses as part of AMEX's Small Business Saturday. In Englewood, shop owners saw a slow start to the day as customers waited until late morning to start hitting the streets. At the same time, city employees were able to dedicate time to decorating lamppoles and utility work continued on Dean Street. "I think AMEX should be commended for honoring small businesses in the downtown districts," Marla Weinglast of Complements said. "We're seeing more customers want to support their local businesses because they know the owners and sales team on a personal …
Friday, November 23, 2012
Start your holiday shopping at locally owned stores during Small Business Saturday on Nov. 24.
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Friday, November 23, 2012
Small Business Saturday is on Nov. 24 this year, two days after Thanksgiving. It is a day for everyone to support the small businesses that their community thrives on. American Express founded the day in 2010 to help small businesses get exposure during the holiday season, when they might be otherwise overlooked. With retailers buzzing around the holidays, it is important to support local small businesses that rely on their neighbors in order to continue prospering and building the local economy. Last year, 100 million people nationwide participated in Small Business Saturday by shopping at locally owned stores to help boost the economy and their communities. You can “like” Small Business Saturday on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/…
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Inspectors to spread out across Bergen County and authorities will have “zero tolerance” for fraudulent home repair companies and contractors, the Bergen County Executive said.
Officials will inspect contractors working on repairs in areas slammed by Superstorm Sandy as part of a new county police-led task force designed to protect homeowners from storm-related scams, the county executive announced Tuesday. “My administration will have zero tolerance for fraudulent home improvement companies or any contractor or company that seeks to take advantage of vulnerable people suffering from the terrible tragedy that hit our county,” Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan said in a statement. Led by County Police Capt. Victor F. Cuttitta Jr., the task force will include officials from the Consumer Affairs and Consumer Protections offices. Inspectors will fan out across Bergen County, with special attention given to …
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Find out what’s in before you head out to take advantage of Black Friday or Small Business Saturday savings.
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Making sure to put just the right presents under the tree for kids can be a trick even for Santa. If you’re hoping to find out what’s hot before you head out to shop on Black Friday or Small Business Saturday, we’ve put together a few suggestions. Retailers themselves are generally the best judges of what’s in. Here are what some of the biggest toy retailers are saying: Toys ‘R’ Us This retailer has a Top 15 list of toys for boys and girls. Some of its suggestions include: To see the full list, visit Toys ‘R’ Us online. Target This store agrees with Toys ‘R’ Us on a few counts, but has its own suggestions, as well. They include: To see the full list of suggestions, visit Target online. Walmart This retailer has an extensive list of hot …
Just what is Small Business Saturday and why should you support it in Fort Lee?
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Big name national retailers take the spotlight on Black Friday as their deep price cuts pull in shoppers in droves. But what about those mom-and-pop businesses all over Fort Lee and beyond that are the backbone of America’s economy? Just when do they get their day? That’s essentially the question that was asked back in 2010 when the concept of "Small Business Saturday" was born. Small Business Saturday is “a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities,” the U.S. Small Business Administration explains on its website. American Express gets the credit for founding the shopping holiday, which got its official start on Nov. 27, 2010, according to the Small Business Saturday Facebook page. Celebrating its …
Monday, November 19, 2012
“Dining for Johnny” took place at Franco’s Metro in early November. On Monday, the restaurant’s general manager presented a check to John Damato, 16, and his mother.
The general manger of a local restaurant that held a fundraiser earlier this month to help the family of a 16-year-old Fort Lee boy who received a heart transplant in June presented the family with a check for $1,000 Monday. The donation resulted from a three-day fundraiser Gene Bazzarelli of Franco’s Metro called “Dining for Johnny,” during which the restaurant donated 15 percent of people's checks if they brought in the flyer for the event. Bazzarelli, whose cousin is one of John Damato’s teachers at Fort Lee High School, said he was pleased with the turnout in spite of the event having taken place shortly after Sandy and during the snowstorm that followed. Bazzarelli said he didn’t know John or his family until his cousin, Ms. Bernardo…
40.85014
-73.984829
Franco's Metro Restaurant and Bar
1475 Bergen Blvd, Fort Lee, NJ
/articles/fort-lee-restaurant-raises-1k-for-family-of-heart-transplant-recipient
1770282
/locations/8170345
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Hurricane Sandy has caused severe damage to many local businesses. if you're a small business owner, here's some helpful advice for how to recover.
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012
1) File insurance claims as soon as possible, if you haven't already done so. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners offers important advice and tips for filing your claim. The National Flood Insurance Program also provides information on filing a flood insurance claim. 2) The SBA offers several low-interest, long-term disaster loans to small businesses in declared disaster areas, including business physical disaster loans and economic injury disaster loans. You can apply for loans up to $2 million for both uninsured and underinsured damages. You can apply directly online. Once submitted, the SBA will send an inspector to estimate the cost of damage. 3) Apply for tax relief if needed, which will allow for expedited returns or …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Fort Lee restaurant will donate 15 percent of the check now through Thursday to the family of a 16-year-old Fort Lee boy recovering from a heart transplant.
Updated Wednesday, Nov. 7. A local restaurant is doing its part to help out the family of a 16-year-old Fort Lee boy who received a heart transplant in June by donating 15 percent of people's lunch or dinner checks Monday through Wednesday this week. "We will never let a stupid hurricane get in the way of supporting one of our local residents," said general manager Gene Bazzarelli of Franco’s Metro earlier this week, when the event was planned for Monday through Wednesday. Now because of the winter storm that started sweeping through the area Wednesday, Bazzarelli said he's adding a day. "We have decided to extend [Dining for Johnny] through[Thursday] night," he said. "As always, people who cannot attend, should contact me directly to set …
40.85014
-73.984829
Franco's Metro Restaurant and Bar
1475 Bergen Blvd, Fort Lee, NJ
/articles/fort-lee-restaurant-to-sponsor-dining-for-johnny
1770282
/locations/8141352
Angela Johnson
6:08 pm on Sunday, December 9, 2012
I look forward to trying their food! more ›