City Council approved a Special Improvement District (SID) budget of $325,000 for 2021 that ultimately aims to ramp up programming and capital improvements.
Category Archives: Retail
11: Skeptical of Supermarkets
One of the most frequent conversations among readers is about bringing a supermarket to downtown Rahway. It’s been the subject of the occasional reader poll and there was even a campaign five years ago to lobby Trader Joe’s to open in town.
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That’s not to say there aren’t options in and around downtown Rahway. The Cherry Street Market has been around a long time. There’s also Universal Meat Supermarket on Elizabeth Avenue and Rahway Farm in the Deals Plaza on St. Georges Avenue, a half-mile from downtown.
Matt Casey of Rahway-based Matthew P. Casey and Associates has been analyzing supermarket retail for more than 30 years. He helps open new grocery stories, conducting feasibility studies on a geographic area, studies the best places to build a story and projects how much business a store might do.
I spoke with Casey for a blog post in 2017 and it was among the most popular posts that year. I thought it would make for a good podcast episode to revisit the supermarket conversation with him. We talked back in October as I was brainstorming ideas for podcast episodes and not much has changed. We discussed the local options in and around Rahway and why it’s so difficult to attract one to Rahway..
We also discussed the cult of Trader Joe’s, the rise of home delivery during COVID and its short- and long-term impact on the supermarket industry, and what a Rahway market would have to do to compete. “If I’m doing a supermarket study for an individual who wants to open a supermarket in downtown Rahway — or anywhere — my first question is going to be what are you going to do different, what are you going to offer the customer that’s unique or different that’s going to change a customer’s mind from ordering from Walmart” and having it delivered to your door within two hours.
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Second round of business grants available
Another $250,000 in forgivable loans grants will be available to eligible businesses in a second round of Rahway CARES Act funding. Eligible businesses can receive up to $4,000.
65 businesses receive Rahway CARES funds
Some 65 local businesses shared in more than a quarter-million dollars in funding through the Rahway Coronavirus Aid Relief & Economic Stimulus (CARES) program.
Public spaces designated for outdoor dining
Free parking, free public Wi-Fi, and seven designated public spaces downtown where residents can eat and drink are among the efforts by the city encourage patronage of local businesses while still social distancing as restrictions are eased in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Continue reading Public spaces designated for outdoor dining
Outdoor dining, some retail in store for phase 2
The second phase of the state’s easing of restrictions related to coronavirus (COVID-19) is expected to take effect June 15, and include outdoor dining and some limited retail.
Continue reading Outdoor dining, some retail in store for phase 2
Planning study to identify new sites
A planning consultant will study underused lots downtown to identify the potential for new uses that could connect recent developments with needed amenities.
Small business loan relief program launched
Local businesses impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdowns may be eligible for a $5,000 loan.
Continue reading Small business loan relief program launched