Maplewood Moorestown Holds Grand Reopening Amid Pandemic

MOORESTOWN, NJ — A popular Italian eatery that recently moved to Moorestown is the latest restaurant to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Maplewood Moorestown was only open at the mall for a year before it was forced to close to help stop the spread of the coronavirus back in March. It was the perfect time to make some upgrades, third-generation owner Jim Italiano said.

Restaurants have been allowed to be opened outside since the beginning of the summer, but Italiano wanted to make sure everything was perfect for his restaurant’s grand reopening. So they remained closed.

Restaurants were allowed to reopen with limited capacity Sept. 4. The Maplewood was still shoring things up at that point, so it remained closed.

“We made a lot of changes while we were shut down,” Italiano said.

Yes, there were needs such as plumbing and electrical upgrades. But he wanted to bring the ambience of the Hammonton and Mays Landing locations to Moorestown. And although it is the third restaurant, Italiano couldn’t be more clear that the Maplewood is not a restaurant chain.

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His grandfather opened the Maplewood in Hammonton in 1945, cooking Jim’s grandmother’s recipes.

“It wasn’t upscale or fancy, but people loved it,” Italiano said. “And for so many years, it’s had the same atmosphere.”

Jim’s father, Joe, expanded the business, and that expansion continues under Jim. Its second location is in Mays Landing, and Italiano said he is looking to bring the best of what makes the Hammonton and Mays Landing restaurants popular to the Moorestown Mall.

“We want people to come be part of the Maplewood Family,” Italiano said.

The coronavirus pandemic presented a setback to that plan, and alters the way that experience is served up for the moment. Currently, restaurants are only permitted to accommodate 25 percent of their total indoor capacity, although State Sen. Troy Singleton (D-7) on Wednesday called for an increase. Read more here: Burlington County Senator calls for Indoor Dining Increase

“We’re open on a first-come, first-served basis,” Italiano said. “There’s some outdoor seating. We have a patio. There are high-top tables with umbrellas and an awning.”

When it came to the Moorestown Mall, it was part of the mall’s diversification. It joined Hash House A Go Go and The Yard House among the growing number of restaurants at the mall.

The mall has experienced issues related to the pandemic, as it was shut down for much of 2020. Moorestown has the seventh highest coronavirus case total in Burlington County.

As of Tuesday night, there were 474 cases of the coronavirus in Moorestown with 63 confirmed deaths. There was just one new case reported in Moorestown on Tuesday, and six in the last week. Trace investigations are underway in all new cases.

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.