Shop Locally in Verona, Cedar Grove on Small Business Saturday

Start your holiday shopping at locally owned stores on Nov. 24.

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 in Verona and Cedar Grove. “You should attempt to shop at local businesses as much as possible,” said Al Puntasecca, who has owned Tony's Train Town in Cedar Grove for the past 34 years. “Although sometimes the prices may be a bit higher you will …

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Shop Local on Small Business Saturday

Just what is Small Business Saturday and why should you support it in Verona and Cedar Grove?

Big name national retailers take the spotlight on Black Friday as their deep price cuts pull in shoppers in droves. What about those mom-and-pop businesses all over Verona, Cedar Grove and beyond that are the backbone of America’s economy? Just when do they get their day? That’s basically 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 …

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Send Out Cards Offers Personalized, Customizable Greeting Cards

Send Out Cards has 15,000 stock cards and offers personalized fonts and photographs.

For the past five years, Deborah Gussoff, an independent distributor for Send Out Cards, has been helping customers to create meaningful greeting cards for all occasions. Send Out Cards is ready to handle the huge holiday rush, said Gussoff, who has been a professional organizer for the past 19 years. Send Out Cards offers customers a chance to personalize their greeting card by including their own messages, pictures and even their own hand writing. “A more personal card is more likely to have an impact,” said Gussoff. “People like seeing pictures on cards and people are more likely to save cards with a custom message.” Customers can choose from 15,000 different stock cards. For the holidays Send Out Cards has seasons greetings cards, …

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Tips for Disaster Recovery for Small Business Owners

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.

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 …

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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…

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Pig & Prince: Creative Cuisine In A Classy Setting

Chef Michael Carrino appears to have another hit on his hands.

Just when you thought Montclair's restaurant scene couldn't get any better, Pig & Prince opens in the renovated Lackawanna Railroad Station facing Bloomfield Avenue. Indeed, after sampling a wide range of dishes, it appears Chef Michael Carrino—who already had built a stellar reputation as the chef at Passionne— has another hit on his hands. Located in a sprawling space that includes a bar and a tap room, Carrino said he closed Passionne last year so that he could funnel his energies into a larger locale that included a liquor license and room to grow. The historic Lackawanna Railroad Station provides the perfect venue to accomplish both goals. Additionally, it is fitting that the resurrection of this beautiful space coincides with its …

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Gas Rationing Sees Shorter Lines at Some Stations

Governor's new gas plan and restrictions imposed by station owners results in slightly shorter waits in some places, same story in others.

At noon Saturday, Gov. Chris Christie's even-odd gas rationing mandate went into effect for 12 New Jersey counties, including Bergen, Essex, Morris, Monmouth, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Warren. The result, in some cases, was modestly shorter gas lines than have been seen in the days since Sandy hit. Of course, other stations featured the same long lines and interminable waits that have dotted North Jersey in recent days.

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What's Open, What's Closed in Verona and Cedar Grove

Businesses are beginning to open in both townships as power returns, but many are still in the dark.

The effects of Hurricane Sandy are still being felt throughout Verona and Cedar Grove.  Power is beginning to be restored in both towns and businesses are finally opening their doors.  Here's a list of some of the open businesses in Verona and Cedar Grove:  Verona  Town Hall Lakeside Deli Avenue Bistro Pub Terry's Family Pharmacy Corner Store Deli Henry's Foods 7-Eleven Annin Flag Company Quality Car Care Bagel Cafe Exxon on Bloomfield Ave. and Mt. Prospect Ave. Famous Ray's Pizza First Care Medical Group Kings Supermarket Cedar Grove  Esposito's Valley National Bank Sovereign Bank Town Hall Bellatair Salon Ristorante and Pizza Verizon Cedar Grove Deli Kyoto Sushi Super Foodtown Chase Bank The Medicine Shoppe CVS on Pompton and Steven's …

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