Pandemic Babies - Despite the Challenges, Many New Food Businesses were Born
In early March 2020, small-business owners were unaware that they were about to face one of the most economically and mentally strenuous years in modern history. During the first six months of the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 400,000 small businesses across the country permanently shut their doors. Still, a number of venturesome risktakers opted not to let the pandemic eclipse their visions of establishing their own businesses. Edible Jersey spoke with four brave business owners who launched brick-and-mortar locations in one of the most historically arduous times.
Chef Melissa McGrath, photo: Nancy Painter
SWEET AMALIA MARKET & KITCHEN
Marine scientist Lisa Calvo has been raising Sweet Amalia oysters since 2012. Still, Calvo and her business partner, Ed Pappas, never intended to turn their distribution hub into an oyster-focused roadside restaurant in the small, landlocked suburb of Newfield. The two had rented a no-frills farm stand for four years; when it went up for sale, they took the plunge and purchased the property in May 2020, with the intent to continue only using it as their home base.
“This was just an old, beat-up farm stand,” Calvo says. “We ended up buying it, thinking we might rent out the front space to another tenant.”
The opportunity for the market and kitchen concept only presented itself later that summer, when Calvo and Pappas recognized that the pandemic affected their ability to sell wholesale to restaurants. In other words, they needed to shift their business model.
“We were, like, ‘Oh my God, we just bought this property in the middle of [a pandemic],’” Calvo recalled. “‘Who knows what’s going to happen?’”
The two spent the winter months renovating the space. Chef Melissa McGrath joined the team, and the eatery officially opened in April. Sweet Amalia Market & Kitchen offers an oyster-focused menu, plus soups, salads, and sandwiches. The market also features fresh produce and a selection of locally produced staples, including sauces, cheeses, and nut butters.
“It’s a slight detour from your route to the shore, but it’s on the way,” Calvo says. “And people are coming just to come, too. … There really isn’t anything like this in Vineland or Newfield.”
The spot’s location also “speaks to farm,” says Pappas. “We’re in the middle of farm country.”
The business plans to eventually host farm-to-table dinners, as well as offer oyster tastings of local varieties.
Sweet Amalia Market & Kitchen
994 Harding Hwy., Newfield
sweetamalia.com
Caterina Russo, photo: courtesy of Sicilia Mia
SICILIA MIA
Caterina Russo didn’t see the pandemic as the worst time to open a small business; she saw it as an opportunity to bring restaurant-quality ingredients to those eating at home. Sicilia Mia, which sells artisanal goods imported from Italy, had been in existence for “a long time,” according Russo, but the excitement of owning a storefront only grew with the pandemic.
“We have a producer in Sicily who produces extra-virgin olive oil,” Russo says. “She’s related to me. She had the idea of having all the bottles hand-painted by Sicilian artists.”
The shop concept started as a pop-up in hotels, airports, and even on military bases. Italian-born Russo, who had connections to plenty of artisans in her home country, started selling Italian imported goods. When the pandemic hit, it only made sense to open a permanent shop.
“I started thinking that maybe now would be the best time to open a business like this,” Russo says. “People weren’t going out to eat. Why not try to bring in products and have them make a gourmet meal at home? And that’s why I think it was successful.”
Sicilia Mia sells imported Italian goods, such as extra-virgin olive oil, sauces, herbs, and panettone. Customers can also now enjoy special events, including wine and cheese pairings and various tastings.
Sicilia Mia
4 S. Fullerton Ave., Montclair
siciliamiaimports.com
Nick Liberato, photo: Nancy Painter
THE BORSCHT BELT
In an effort to bring back the New York delis of his childhood, Mike Dalewitz partnered with celebrity chef Nick Liberato to create The Borscht Belt, and bring an old-style Jewish delicatessen to Stockton. The idea for such a spot came only after Dalewitz and Liberato, who both have backgrounds in turning around small businesses, created a consulting concept to help other restaurants and bars keep their doors open during the pandemic.
“We thought, ‘Why don’t we make this formidable team … and create these pandemic-proof models [for businesses]?” Dalewitz says. Eventually, the two wanted to expand and develop their own eatery.
“I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to just put a cool spin on the culinary classics of a New York Jewish deli?’” Liberato agreed, and so began The Borscht Belt.
Dalewitz and Liberato saw various challenges in trying to open, including a hard time finding contractors to help them create the deli. Hiring staff proved difficult as well, so the business partners took an unconventional approach to hiring: offering full-time salaries, plus benefits, to all employees. Given the times, opening this past June was no easy feat.
“We opened short-staffed, with a green team, and with limited supplies, but we opened,” Dalewitz says.
Still, with a dedicated staff and a celebrity ownership, Dalewitz and Liberato feel they are built to last. “People are amazed by Nick’s persona,” Dalewitz says. “Nick and I are built to thrive.”
The Borscht Belt
19 Bridge St., Stockton
theborschtbelt.com
AJ and Kristina Sankofa, photos: courtesy of Eco Artisanal Pasta
ESO ARTISANAL PASTA
In April 2020, AJ Sankofa and his wife, Kristina, developed a delivery-only cakes and pies concept on a whim. Within a year, it had expanded into something completely different: a brick-and-mortar handmade pasta shop.
“We started Babushka’s Pies in 2020 as a way to relieve our boredom,” Sankofa says. Soon after, he recognized another opportunity. “It opened the door for me to say, ‘Maybe we can try the same with pasta and see how it goes.’”
As ESO Artisanal Pasta was about to launch, a surprising message from a local baker changed ESO’s delivery-only course. The Artist Baker’s Andrea Lekberg offered up a section of her retail space, which was closed to indoor customers during the pandemic, and Sankofa accepted. While the setup worked temporarily, Sankofa wanted to grow into his own space. As a graduate of Morristown High School, he along with his wife hoped to open a storefront in their hometown—and found luck in a barber shop.
“I peeked my head in [the shop] and thought, ‘This is the perfect amount of space for us,’” says Sankofa. Later that month, the barber shop went up for lease, and Sankofa did not hesitate to transform it into ESO’s headquarters. “This whole thing has fallen into place.”
Still, opening a brick-and-mortar shop posed its own set of challenges, though not necessarily due to the pandemic.
“I would say the challenges were really staying behind the kind of work we were doing,” Sankofa says. “Pasta is a very time-consuming task. … The biggest challenge that we faced wasn’t ingredients, it was keeping with the demand.” Customers have flocked to the store—a clear sign that ESO has a bright future.
ESO Artisanal Pasta offers handmade pastas and house-made sauces, as well as pizzas, and plenty of other artisanal products. Plus, customers can still purchase Babushka’s Pies.
ESO Artisanal Pasta
92A Elm St., Morristown
esoartisanalpasta.com
INTREPID ENTREPRENUERS
Check out these other NJ businesses that opened up shop throughout the pandemic.
BLUE SPICE
3339 Rt. 94 Unit 3.1, Hamburg
bluespicekitchen.com
GOOD MOJO
360 Rt. 10 West, East Hanover
goodmojokitchen.com
GUS’ LAST WORD
191 Valley Blvd., Wood-Ridge
guslastword.com
LAS OLAS TAQUERIA
4 Roosevelt Blvd. Unit 4, Marmora
@las_olas_taqueria_nj
OCEAN OYSTER BAR
331 Adams St. Suite 1, Newark
facebook.com/oceanoysterbarnj
