8/14/2008
Red Bank RiverCenter Newsletter | |
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Welcome to Red Bank RiverCenter
Greetings!
Hope you're all having a wonderful summer! We've been busy working to market Red Bank as a day-trip destination to help ride the wave of the current economic situation everyone finds themselves in. We've been working with our Advertising Committee to come up with a new "branding" of Red Bank that we hope to kick off along the NJ Transit commuter rail lines with the poster campaign for which we received a grant from the State Division of Travel and Tourism. We hope to unveil our efforts in the next couple of months.
Closer to home, we have not stopped our ever-ongoing quest for the resolution of parking issues. The Director of Red Bank's Parking Utility, Gary Watson, graciously met with RiverCenter recently to discuss issues regarding parking in the business district. We've talked with them about many of the concerns we've heard from business owners about enforcement, ticket prices and freeing up spaces for shoppers. It was a very informative meeting and we plan to have ongoing meetings to problem-solve where we can to achieve what's best for all involved. Look for parking notices below.
Best regards,
Nancy Adams, Executive Director |
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| Programs & Services
 Co-op Ad Opportunity for the Holidays!! RiverCenter is reserving space in the 2008 Holiday Issue Gift Guide, in New Jersey Life Magazine for a cooperative ad. The ad consists of 24 spots for businesses to showcase their must-have gifts for the season. We are hopeful that this advertising spread in the Gift Guide, especially with the accompanying editorial on Red Bank in the "NJ Life Weekending" section, will entice shoppers to come to town for Holiday shopping. We have negotiated a price with NJ Life Magazine that you wouldn't be able to take advantage of without RiverCenter's non-profit status. If you're interested in participating, the deadline is September 4th. Contact Heili Sillard at 732-367-0347 (office); 732-267-2872 (cell) or Heili@newjerseylife.com.
DINE DOWNTOWN - OCTOBER 2008We are pleased to announce that RiverCenter will again be  offering Dine Downtown for the month of October. We hope that you take this opportunity to bring patrons into your restaurants and introduce yourselves to new customers.In order to begin planning the event, advertising and print materials, we will need your commitment of participation no later than Friday, August 15th by 5pm.
- $100 per restaurant to participate.
- Varying levels of price fixe menus available to customers, so that more restaurants are able to participate, $15, $25 and $30 for a 3-course price fixe menu to include appetizer, entrée & dessert.
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays during October.
Please email Valerie at program.manager@rbrivercenter.com or call the office.
Also, The October 'Tip Sheet' is going to be dedicated to 'Dine Downtown' for the month of October. For a reduced rate, participating Dine Downtown restaurants have the opportunity to be featured in a special advertising panel that will include a photo as well as special copy regarding their specific Dine Downtown menu. For more information please contact Michael Warmington at Ansorge Unlimited at 732- 933-4767. |
| Business to Business
Schwartz Salon, 17 Monmouth St., is offering 10% off to Red Bank businesses in celebration of their Grand Reopening. Plans for a ribbon-cutting are also in the works, look for more information soon. Schwartz Salon can be reached at 732-741-7337.
Island Def Jam singer-songwriter Laura Warshauer will perform live on Thursday, August 21 at Glen Goldbaum 72, 72 Bridge Avenue. Doors open at 7:00p.m., and Ms. Warshauer's performance begins at 8:00 p.m. Sushi and other refreshments will be served. There is no cover charge. Glen Goldbaum 72 is thrilled to be bringing Ms. Warshauer to Red Bank. "Just like Laura, what we do at Glen Goldbaum 72 is very distinctive and unique," says owner Glen Goldbaum. The Glen Goldbaum 72 team is expressive and passionate about their work and their clients, and excited to be a part of the growing West Side vibe. Call 732-530-5588 for more information.
Job Opening Salesperson Needed at Bisdarl, 4a West Front Street. Evenings and weekends. Please call Elsie at the store at (732) 530-8220 to inquire.
Hobbymasters, 62 White St., has recently done some "Green" improvements to their building. "We are starting on our roof August 18th," says owner Arlene Placer. "First the roof will be redone, then we will be putting solar panels on the roof." Anyone interested in learning what needs to be done can call Alan Placer at 732-842-6020. Also, as always, if you have Styrofoam peanuts and boxes, drop them off (or call for pickup) because Hobbymasters online business is growing! www.hobbymasters.com
 On Sunday, August 17th, TOMS, Rok+Lola, and Blank Jeans will join forces to hold "Rok N Sole," a Style Your Sole event. From 11AM - 6PM, customers will be able to purchase a pair of TOMS to personalize with provided art supplies or have local artists customize a pair on the spot. TOMS Shoes was founded in 2006 when Blake Mycoskie befriended the children of an Argentine village, finding that they had no shoes to protect their feet. He created a company that would match every pair of shoes sold with a pair given to a child there -One for One. Blake returned within a year to that same village in Argentina with 10,000 pairs of shoes to match purchases from TOMS caring customers. Stop in for a deal for yourself and a needy child: Rok & Lola, 58 Broad St., 732-212-9696. Broad Street Filling Station, is opening for business on Monday, August 18th! Breakfast, lunch, early suppers and catering will be offered at 128 Broad St. 732-450-9090. Peter Burr and Glen Saldarini, local guys who have professional restaurant and chef training under their belts, are excited to be fulfilling their dream of owning their own restaurant. They will also have outdoor dining! Stop in and say "Welcome!
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| Membership News
 Jennifer James Church, owner and Artistic Director of The Academy of Dance Arts is delighted to announce that she has handed over directorship of the school to Nicholas and Shayne Mishoe. The Academy, 59 Chestnut St., has been in Red Bank for 25 years. Shayne was a former student of the school and, along with her husband, a professional dancer have come back to Red Bank. For their new fall schedule call 732-842-9262 or go to theacademyredbank.com.
RiverCenter still has some Red Bank Centennial t-shirts available for sale at $10! Anyone interested should call our office at 732-842-4244.  |
| Community Partners
Parking Enforcement Alerts: The Parking Utility will begin  enforcing on-street meter-feeding. There is an existing ordinance that will be enforced beginning immediately after Labor Day. Note that the intent of this enforcement is not to hurt customers, but rather to open up much-needed on-street parking spaces currently being taken up by business owners. Meter-feeding will not be enforced in the parking lots, just on-street.
Also, as reported previously, the parking meters in the White Street lot are being enforced more carefully because permit holders were using these spots without putting money in the meter. There are new signs posted on each meter saying that permit holders will be ticketed if the meter is expired. What was happening is that permit holders were parking at meters that were not exclusively for permit holders (like the ones that are not available to shoppers until after 2:00pm) thereby effectively taking up two parking spots...the permit one and the non-permit one. So, if you have a permit, please park in spaces assigned for permit holders and leave the others open for our shoppers!
Extra! Extra! Read All About It! The Red Bank Monitor will be making its debut this weekend. The bi-monthly newspaper will be a borough-wide publication that is proud to feature news, commentary, calendar of events, nightlife, business, politics and much more only about Red Bank! This newsprint format will be full newspaper length and 4,000 copies will be distributed. In the future, the paper will be direct mailed to all Red Bank residents. For more information, please contact the Managing Director/Publisher, Keith Rella at (732) 842-0050.
Garbage and Recycling. Business owners who normally put their garbage and recycling out at the curb may want to consider calling the Borough to see if they can pick up at the back of your store instead. Several businesses already do so, and based on some concerns of business owners and residents, the appearance of the business district will certainly be enhanced by removing the garbage and recycling from the curb. So, call the Borough DPW at 732-530-2773 to see if you can change to rear pickup.
Reminder: K Hovnanian Parking Garage OPEN! The garage is at 141 W. Front Street and the rates and hours are: 6AM - 12AM Mon - Thurs, 6AM - 1AM Fri, 8AM - 12AM Sat. $2 up to 1 hour, $4 up to 2 hrs, $7 up to 10 hrs, $12 max to close. Monthly permits available.
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Events
Bank of America presents StreetLife. Saturdays, June - August, 7PM - 10PM. Sponsored by Bank of America and RiverCenter. Performers are at five locations throughout the district providing live entertainment to fill the evening.
Farmers Market at the Galleria.Sundays, 9AM - 2 PM, May - Oct. Pkg Lot at Bridge Ave. & W. Front St. Info: 732-530-7300.
Red Bank Streetfair. Sunday, September 7th. 11AM - 5PM. Broad and Monmouth Streets. For info or to sign up for a booth, contact Darryl Walker at streetfairs.org.
Red Bank Town-Wide Yard Sale. Sat, Sept. 20, 2008. For info, call: Audrey Oldoerp
732-747-4642
Click here for more information |
| Business For Sale
Bellasoul Priced to Sell, 27 Monmouth Street. Owner getting ready to start a family and sell this 5 year old business which has a great following. Beautiful boutique specializing in lingerie, pajamas, bridal, fragrances, gifts and bath and body. The space is approximately 1,000 square feet. There are currently 4 months remaining on the lease with a 2 year option. The person who assumes this business must be approved by the landlord, so please only those who have good credit should respond. The sale comes complete with current inventory, displays, fixtures, shelving, interior decor, office equipment, cash register, credit card terminal, and business supplies. Owner will provide operational information, vendor contacts and introduction to existing vendors and training if interested. Only serious inquiries please, call Sally 732-996-0340 or email sally@bellasoul.net.
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Tips For Businesses
(Excerpted from Do·It·Yourself Retailing/October,2004)
One of the most important findings in the Mueller Foundation study is the
absolute importance of building solid relationships with customers.
The top four important actions a retailer could take involved direct interaction with customers:
■ Being on the salesfloor
■ Greeting customers by name and developing friendships
■ Taking as much time as necessary to
understand what the customer needs.
Close behind were store policies designed to keep customers happy.
Hassle-free return policies-taking back products without a receipt that had been
opened, even used-are important. So are placing special orders without a deposit and holding merchandise as long as necessary for pick-up.
These retailers make themselves and their stores readily accessible to customers. They stay open past official posted hours, they give out home phone
numbers and will open in the middle of the night for emergencies. They clearly understand that personal
relationships with customers are just as important, if not more so, than price.
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Plastic Bag Ordinance
The Borough of Red Bank has introduced an ordinance to prohibit the use of plastic bags. Commonly known as the "Plastic Bag Ordinance," it was introduced on first reading at the Council meeting on August 11th.
RiverCenter expressed our concerns about some specifics in the ordinance and will be working with the borough to make changes that work better for the business community. Certain changes have already been made, but the ordinance (as introduced) will be on the Council Agenda for the next meeting, Monday August 25th at 7:30 PM. We believe the ordinance will be voted down and a new, more business-friendly ordinance introduced.
However, we urge retailers to attend the meeting to give their thoughts on the ordinance and offer ideas for amendments. The ordinance can be found here.
The future is here, however, and RiverCenter urges businesses to realize that the green movement afoot is real and statewide. Currently there are 8 proposed bills in the state legislature with various degrees of recycling and plastic bag restrictions applying to NJ businesses. So, be aware of what's out there and plan accordingly for the future. Think about your choices when ordering your bags and packaging in the future. | |
| Nancy Adams, Executive Director, exdirector@rbrivercenter.com
Red Bank RiverCenter, 20 Broad Street, Red Bank 07701 732-842-4244
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