Grand Opening Giveaway & Specials at Wawa

What better way to get customers in the door than a giveaway? Wawa opened its Kendall Park store on Friday, Dec. 8, and is offering free coffee this week. It's also offering $1.99 12-oz. milk shakes and $2.99 6-inch hoagies to mark its grand opening week. While afternoons have been busy, mornings have been slower than expected, said one of the store's employees. 

Coupon Marketing

Wawa has sent coupons to nearby residents, so business may pick up in the mornings as people realize the store is open and adjust their morning commutes.

Grand opening features free coffee

Gas price matches the lowest price in the area

The gasoline pumps are open, as well, and the per-gallon price for regular-grade gas matches the cheapest in the area at $2.25. Diesel sells for $2.71/gallon.

The grand opening for the Somerset Wawa five miles north on Route 27 is set for this Friday, Dec. 15, with doors opening at 8 am and a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 am.

New Businesses Behind IHOP

One business is expanding and two more are moving into the strip mall behind IHOP in Franklin Park. The Spice Rack is adding a banquet facility next door to its restaurant. 

Meanwhile, signs have gone up for Pasha Mediterranean Restaurant & Banquet and Cloud 9 by Pasha. So far, there are no websites for either Pasha or Cloud 9. From the sign for Cloud 9, it looks like it will be a hookah lounge. And from the name, Pasha is likely a restaurant specializing in Turkish cuisine.

Since there are no websites for either Pasha or Cloud 9, there's no telling when the businesses will open.

"This Stretch of 27" covers business on Route 27 between Finnegan's Lane and Route 518. What's your story? Email me at lkiesche@gmail.com

Liz Kiesche
Liz, a business journalist, formerly worked for Bloomberg News in Princeton and New York.

This Just In...Pop-Up Thrift, Real Estate, Wawa

Pop-Up Thrift Store 

The space that was most recently a shoe repair shop on the corner of Claremont Road will be a thrift store for a day. On Saturday, Nov. 18, the site that was also once the Franklin Park post office, will transform into a thrift store from 9 am to 4 pm. That's the same day as the holiday bazaar at Six Mile Run Reformed Church next door to the pop-up store.

New Real Estate Agency

Gautams Realty opened an office in Kendall Park about a month ago. Broker/manager Chandra Ghosh says the agency chose Kendall Park because, "there's a lot of business in the area. People want to move to the Princeton area and Monroe."

The real estate agency, which also has an office in Iselin, mostly serves the residential market, but also does commercial and investment business. 
"Last year, business was better than this year," observes Ghosh. Since then it's slowed some, because there aren't as many homes for sale, she says.
The real estate agency's new office reflects the influx of Asian Indians into the Franklin Park/Kendall Park area. Most of Gautam's customers are Asian Indian, though not all, Ghosh says.

Wawa Construction Almost Done

The gas pumps have been installed and landscaping is underway at the Wawa. The construction fence has also been taken down and it looks like the building and its interior are complete. Perhaps it will open by the end of the month. Wawa hasn't returned by emails requesting comments and the date of the store's opening isn't yet listed on the website. It only indicates the store will open in the fall. See website here.

"This Stretch of 27" covers business on Route 27 between Finnegan's Lane and Route 518. What's your story? Email me at lkiesche@gmail.com

Liz Kiesche
Liz, a business journalist, formerly worked for Bloomberg News in Princeton and New York.

Projects Along the Pike

It's a quiet, cloudy Wednesday this week. Construction progresses at the Wawa. The exterior of the building looks almost finished, at least finished enough to install signage. Wawa's website says the site is scheduled to open this Fall. That leaves a little more than two months left before winter starts. If the project runs late, they may have to skip the pumpkin-spice flavored coffee drinks.

Looking at the larger picture, the U.S. Census Bureau puts private nonresidential construction spending on a seasonally adjusted basis at  $433.9b in August, the latest month for which data are available. That's up 1.2% from the revised estimate of $432.0b in July and down 2.5% from $445.0b in August 2016.

Road Work Continues

Paving continues on Bunkerhill Road, meaning rough road for awhile. The actual construction takes place overnight, so traffic on Route 27 shouldn't be affected much during the day.

Aerial Work at Stop & Shop

And there's some work being done way above ground level at Stop & Shop on a very tall cylindrical structure, which I'm guessing is an antenna. Anybody know what that is? The employees at the customer service desk didn't know.

If you're looking for a seasonal diversion, signs just went up for the annual haunted hayride in Griggstown.

"This Stretch of 27" covers business on Route 27 between Finnegan's Lane and Route 518. What's your story? Email me at lkiesche@gmail.com

Liz Kiesche
Liz, a business journalist, formerly worked for Bloomberg News in Princeton and New York.

Help Wanted Ranges From Alankar to Wawa

I've noticed a few help-wanted signs in the area, the most noticeable being the one at the corner of Beekman and 27 announcing that Wawa is now accepting applications. Wawa's website doesn't give an estimated opening date for the site that's now under construction.

Positions include customer service associates, fuel service associates and night supervisor. The company didn't respond to an email seeking clarification on when the store/gas station will open. The site was previously a Lukoil gas station with a Circle K convenience store, which was closed a few years ago.

The new Wawa will be well situated, since a new development, East Meadow Estates, is being built around Wawa and the Tabtor Math building. The development was approved for 55 single-family homes by South Brunswick Township.

Other places that are hiring are the Franklin Park Diner; Alankar Boutique, which is seeking a tailor; Hair Time, advertising for a barber; Cleworth Conditioning, seeking an HVAC technician; Domino's, L'Affaire Bakery; and Party Fair. It's likely that most of the stores that are coming soon (mentioned in Sept. 18's post) are also looking to hire.

Odds and ends: Construction has started in two store fronts in Franklin Park Plaza, behind IHOP. No signs have yet indicated what will occupy the spaces and the real estate broker didn't return a call seeking further information.

Mini-Profile: Alankar Boutique

When Stein Mart closes next month, the only store selling clothing (other than underwear and sweat shirts in Walgreens, CVS and Stop & Shop) will be Alankar Tailoring Boutique, the company's third store in New Jersey. It's located behind the CVS on Route 27 south, not to be confused with the CVS on Route 27 north.

Husband-and-wife team Darshita and Rikesh Solanki at Alankar Boutique

The Franklin Park store opened about a year ago and is doing well, says Rikesh Solanki, who is a partner in the business. His wife, Darshita, also works at the store. The couple comes to the U.S. from Gujarat, India's western-most state. 

The store imports clothing from India, as well as sells custom-made clothing. Alankar hasn't done much advertising or promotion, Solanki says, other than listing on Google Business. Word of mouth appears to be the main source of their customers, who are both from the Franklin Park/Kendall Park area as well as further south. 

Let me know what's going on in your business on Route 27 between Finnegan's Lane and Route 518. Email me at lkiesche@gmail.com

Liz Kiesche
Liz, a business journalist, formerly worked for Bloomberg News in Princeton and New York.