I would love to have seen a Booskerdoo take its place. Great coffee and great pastries made right on premises. That I feel, is what a town like the grove needs. It would attract the locals daily just to see what different things they decided to come up with on any given day. They also make their own ice cream sandwiches. We should get a Booskerdoo but being that the place is already taken, we shall see what appears. Hopefully nothing that requires a large stove. I don’t think I could sleep at night.
Waterseller: I actually was imagining a privately run, unique, down-home place rather than the cookie cutter Starbucks model. In Chester, a small semi-rural town in Morris County, there is a spacious Starbucks in a strip mall. It is a wonderful coffee shop that high school kids, moms, shoppers and seniors go out of their way to visit, and it is staffed by a mod-squad of men and women mostly in their ’20’s. It’s not like the frenetic, 80 mph versions in Manhattan. It is always busy but with a lively chattering crowd. I like to go there.
On the other hand, I doubt that Starbucks would consider a store in Ocean Grove, but if they did, I do think it would be very nice. I voted “yes.” It’s not clear to me what the objection would be.That’s the problem with polls—you don’t get a conversation. (Although we do allow comments in the lower right corner)
OGrover. I too am a coffee aficionado. I don’t like the coffee at most restaurants, at many coffee shops, and at Wegman’s. America’s Cup and Starbucks are good—not great. We have run articles on this subject before. Here is a link from last summer:
A coffee shop in OG should be known for great coffee—an uncompromised common denominator; prepared correctly. But, my ideal space filler on Main Avenue would have to be a place to meet (i.e. a down home destination), to shmooze, to rub elbows, to read or piddle around on a smart phone or pad (not to spend all day writing the great American novel), converse with neighbors or a date, have a snack and find a bathroom. It would be the sort of place which becomes part of the daily routine for many. It should be a small town icon—a place where everybody knows your name.
And, from a business point of view, a place that everyone who lives in town and comes here year round would go out of their way to support (as we all should do for all of our local businesses.) If you don’t use it, you will lose it.
I hope the owner of 50 Main will find someone to provide OG with a shop like that. Hoping for that is to hope for something very important in the life of a small town.
I consider myself a coffee aficionado (some say snob) and I really don’t like Starbucks. If something is going to go in that spot I’d vote for a REAL honest to goodness deli or butcher. It could even have a coffee bean grinder a la A&P with a nice selection to choose from. Probably not going to happen, though.
As a manager in town, I would be devastated to see Starbucks here … really takes away from the originality of the town, and imagine how much eateries in town would suffer at the hands of customers choosing to eat at a place they know of versus trying a new spot..
That’s sad about the Barbaric Bean. They had good coffee, and it was a casual place to hang out. There are so few coffeehouses around anymore. Since they had a kitchen, maybe another restaurant will go into the space.
i heard too that a tenant already grabbed the Barbaric Bean space. I hope its a new coffee place or a moderately priced restaurant.
Does anyone know who bought it? Someone has rented the space already but it seems pretty hush hush as to who it is.
I would love to have seen a Booskerdoo take its place. Great coffee and great pastries made right on premises. That I feel, is what a town like the grove needs. It would attract the locals daily just to see what different things they decided to come up with on any given day. They also make their own ice cream sandwiches. We should get a Booskerdoo but being that the place is already taken, we shall see what appears. Hopefully nothing that requires a large stove. I don’t think I could sleep at night.
Bring back Marge and her husband Joe. They knew how to run an OG coffee shop.
Waterseller: I actually was imagining a privately run, unique, down-home place rather than the cookie cutter Starbucks model. In Chester, a small semi-rural town in Morris County, there is a spacious Starbucks in a strip mall. It is a wonderful coffee shop that high school kids, moms, shoppers and seniors go out of their way to visit, and it is staffed by a mod-squad of men and women mostly in their ’20’s. It’s not like the frenetic, 80 mph versions in Manhattan. It is always busy but with a lively chattering crowd. I like to go there.
On the other hand, I doubt that Starbucks would consider a store in Ocean Grove, but if they did, I do think it would be very nice. I voted “yes.” It’s not clear to me what the objection would be.That’s the problem with polls—you don’t get a conversation. (Although we do allow comments in the lower right corner)
Paul, your description of the ideal coffee shop sounds just like a Starbucks.
OGrover. I too am a coffee aficionado. I don’t like the coffee at most restaurants, at many coffee shops, and at Wegman’s. America’s Cup and Starbucks are good—not great. We have run articles on this subject before. Here is a link from last summer:
http://blogfinger.net/2014/08/14/throwing-down-the-gauntlet-the-best-coffee-in-town/
A coffee shop in OG should be known for great coffee—an uncompromised common denominator; prepared correctly. But, my ideal space filler on Main Avenue would have to be a place to meet (i.e. a down home destination), to shmooze, to rub elbows, to read or piddle around on a smart phone or pad (not to spend all day writing the great American novel), converse with neighbors or a date, have a snack and find a bathroom. It would be the sort of place which becomes part of the daily routine for many. It should be a small town icon—a place where everybody knows your name.
And, from a business point of view, a place that everyone who lives in town and comes here year round would go out of their way to support (as we all should do for all of our local businesses.) If you don’t use it, you will lose it.
I hope the owner of 50 Main will find someone to provide OG with a shop like that. Hoping for that is to hope for something very important in the life of a small town.
I consider myself a coffee aficionado (some say snob) and I really don’t like Starbucks. If something is going to go in that spot I’d vote for a REAL honest to goodness deli or butcher. It could even have a coffee bean grinder a la A&P with a nice selection to choose from. Probably not going to happen, though.
As a manager in town, I would be devastated to see Starbucks here … really takes away from the originality of the town, and imagine how much eateries in town would suffer at the hands of customers choosing to eat at a place they know of versus trying a new spot..
Maybe one of the AP coffee shops could open another shop in OG, like Asbury Park Roasters or Americas Cup. Both are good!
That’s sad about the Barbaric Bean. They had good coffee, and it was a casual place to hang out. There are so few coffeehouses around anymore. Since they had a kitchen, maybe another restaurant will go into the space.
Before the big fire was even out I shuddered to think that Starbucks would be built in place of the local biz’s there.