Visions For Vacancies

What Should Replace Hobcaw Cafe?

Patch readers comments and ideas sought for vacant stores and buildings in the township.

For two years, the Hobcaw Cafe in Verona served up fresh, Southern-inspired food. In September 2012 the popular cafe closed its doors for good. The cafe, located at 20 Grove Ave. in Verona, is situated in a small strip mall just off of Bloomfield Avenue surrounded by Tortilla Sunrise and Krauser's deli as its neighbors. So this is where you come in, Verona and Cedar Grove community. The concept behind this column is we’ll present a vacant building and ask you to tell us what you think would be the best use of the vacant space. Here's the fun part: Forget what zone it’s in. Ignore setback regulations, as well as dump lot coverage rules and all the other zoning jargon that puts most people to sleep. Our bottom line: If you had your way, what…

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

Verona's Hobcaw Cafe Closes

Grove Avenue cafe closed their doors after two years of serving the community.

After slightly more than two years of serving the Verona community with fresh, Southern-inspired food, Verona’s popular Hobcaw Cafe permanently closed its doors Tuesday. Nancy McArthur, a National Gourmet Institute graduate opened the restaurant in May 2010 offering seasonal menus, featuring Southern-inspired food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, using only fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. The cafe closed for a number of reasons, McArthur said. It was impossible to make the numbers work while preparing all meals from scratch, from fresh ingredients, while ensuring substantial wages for her employees, she said. Location may also have been a factor, having been located off the main thoroughfare of Bloomfield Avenue. The restaurant …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (3)

Verona’s Hobcaw Café Turns 2

Insight from some of the ladies behind the counter tells the real story.

If you want to find out insider information talk to the staff. I met with three ladies of Hobcaw Café: Carla Zaragoza, one of the lead chefs whose work includes Sunday Brunch; Liz Primavera, Soups/Chili/Shopping and Samantha Palmer, the Barista and server. PATCHell me a bit about yourself. Zaragoza: I graduated from Fairfield University in Connecticut with a combined Master in Psychology & Marketing. While job hunting, I started part time at Hobcaw as a barista. Though I was not professionally trained, I know my way around the kitchen. I started doing prep work in the Hobcaw kitchen and realized I really like cooking and want to follow this path. Primavera: I have always liked to cook. In the past I was a consultant at Pampered Chef. …

• Photos (4)

The Future of Food Served Fresh Daily at Hobcaw Café

With a focus on whole foods and fresh vegetables, the Verona restaurant is poised to celebrate their second anniversary.

In a little less than two years the Hobcaw Café has established itself as a mainstay in Verona, and it’s easy to see why. The sunny, little eatery on Grove Street serves up food the way it’s supposed to be – fresh, natural and made in house from scratch everyday. “Our philosophy is to have everything homemade and use the best ingredients we can,” said James McArthur who runs the restaurant with his mother Nancy, a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute in Manhattan, and his brother, Chip. They derived their philosophy when Nancy enrolled in culinary school. After researching several of the heavy hitters like the French Culinary Institute, Culinary Institute of America and Institute of Culinary Education, she found the schools were a …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (5)