Steaks, Pretzels, Music: COVID Shutdown Ravages Nutley Businesses

NUTLEY, NJ — Nutley’s restaurants and bars are doing their best to survive amid the coronavirus crisis. But according to the owner of a local steakhouse, Gov. Phil Murphy’s recent rollback of indoor dining in New Jersey has only created extra misery for business owners trying to keep afloat in a tough time.

New Jersey's restaurants were set to reopen indoors on July 2 at 25 percent capacity. But those plans were thrown for a loop when the governor announced he was walking back the July 2 opening date due to a spike in COVID-19 numbers, as well as reports of packed crowds not wearing masks and ignoring social distancing.

Murphy’s decision was a serious blow to restaurant owners, many of whom had been making eager preparations to reopen indoors.

Christopher DiMaggio, owner of the Franklin Steakhouse in Nutley, recently expressed his frustration with the situation on social media. He wrote:

“Due to Governor Murphy’s rescinding his longstanding promise of allowing inside dinning just days prior of it supposed to starting – along with his statement, and I quote, ‘not in the foreseeable future,’ we unfortunately will be closing Franklin’s temporarily. Along with extreme heat and rain conditions, operating outside dining became uncomfortable to our loyal clientele - who we greatly appreciate. We have spent countless hours planning, sanitizing and creating safe social distanced dinning in our first floor dining area and in our new 2nd floor dining area that was scheduled to open, as Governor Murphy had promised, on July 2. As soon as Governor Murphy gives us the opportunity to reopen, we will. Guaranteed! Thank you all for your long support, we miss you.”

As per current state regulations, the steakhouse is offering delivery and curbside service, as well as outdoor patio dining.

The Franklin Steakhouse isn’t alone in its COVID-related struggles, according to the Nutley Chamber of Commerce.

“We’ve already lost some iconic businesses, with many more in the process of closing,” the chamber recently stated in a social media video. Those businesses include Giovine Music on Franklin Avenue, which had been in town for four decades.

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On Sunday, the Philly Pretzel Factory on Franklin Avenue became the latest local business to close due to the coronavirus.

“It is with great regret that due to the continued effects of the COVID-19 crisis, we are unable to reopen our Nutley Pretzel Factory,” a social media post stated. “Thank you all for your support over the last several years, we had a great time and enjoyed our stay in lovely Nutley.”

“In Nutley, we are starting to see the effects of businesses being closed, and are fearful that we will have an empty ‘Main Street,’ which as you know, will affect real estate value, rents and create other financial problems for the town,” Nutley Chamber of Commerce President Daniel Leon wrote in a May letter to U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez.

For now, some local businesses such as Momentum Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, are doing the best they can to roll with the punches.

The martial arts school recently began offering limited classes again, noting that “all state mandated protocols will be followed.”

“Looking forward to training with everyone as safely and responsibly as possible,” staff wrote Sunday.

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