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Family Business

Bergen County Mom Turns Passion Into Purpose With Persian Restaurant Bergen County Mom Turns Passion Into Purpose With Persian Restaurant
Bergen County Mom Turns Passion Into Purpose With Persian Restaurant Cooking has already given Bergen County's Shahin Rezaei so much. It gave her something to do when her she moved to the U.S. with her husband, Daryush Saadati, from Sweden 26 years ago. She didn't have a car and she didn't have anything to do when Saadati went to work, and so Rezaei passed the time by perfecting her recipes. Cooking gave Rezaei friends: She met so many people through the catering business she opened seven years ago, when the family's furniture store closed. But most of all, cooking has given Rezaei purpose. "Because of all of this, I know who I am," said Rezaei, more …
North Jersey Bakery Keeps It All In The Family: 'We Put A Lot Of Love Into Our Cookies' North Jersey Bakery Keeps It All In The Family: 'We Put A Lot Of Love Into Our Cookies'
North Jersey Bakery Keeps It All In The Family: 'We Put A Lot Of Love Into Our Cookies' Alaia and Athena are two of Bergen County's youngest bakers. The two-year old and 21-month old, respectively, are assisting their mother and grandmother in Mimi and Grand Cookies, a new bakery that sells cookies online and is based in Maywood. The cookies are baked in a commercial kitchen in Paterson and the company is named after Mimi, Alaia and Athena's grandmother. "My mother and I wanted to create generational wealth for her granddaughters," Ashley Crump, the mother of Alaia, said. "What better way than to start a cookie company?" Crump said her niece and daughter both like being in t…
Former Callahan's Owner Reveals New North Jersey Eatery: 'My Chance To Start Over' Former Callahan's Owner Reveals New North Jersey Eatery: 'My Chance To Start Over'
Former Callahan's Owner Reveals New North Jersey Eatery: 'My Chance To Start Over' For hot dog fans in North Jersey, it's been a cruel summer. But after months of teasing, former Callahan's owner Dan DeMiglio has finally announced what his fans have been waiting for: 1950 Originals.  DeMiglio's brand-new business is replacing Jack's Café in Westwood.  “I’m so excited to start fresh with a brand new business — it’s like having a blank canvas," DeMiglio said in a statement. "This is my chance to start over and dream bigger. "But to me, it’s not always about the brand name. It’s about the people on your team, and our team is truly incredible." DeMiglio, who…
Family's Popular Burger Restaurant Opens Another Jersey Shore Location Family's Popular Burger Restaurant Opens Another Jersey Shore Location
Family's Popular Burger Restaurant Opens Another Jersey Shore Location A popular burger restaurant is opening a second Jersey Shore location. This one will in Ship Bottom on LBI. Burger 25 has become a family operation as Denise and Steve Vetter's son, Aidan, will co-manage the Ship Bottom location, when it opens on Thursday, June 8. The restaurant replaces the former Surf Taco at 1915 Long Beach Blvd. Denise and Steve's daughter, Alexis, also works in the restaurant. They've operated their first restaurant in Toms River for 10 years. "We feel we have something for everyone," Denise Vetter said. Only a few more days to catch these January collabs and …
'Fat Bastard' Carries On Family's Famed Thin Crust Pizza In Bergen County 'Fat Bastard' Carries On Family's Famed Thin Crust Pizza In Bergen County
'Fat Bastard' Carries On Family's Famed Thin Crust Pizza In Bergen County The Giaquintos are back in South Hackensack with their trademark thin crust pizza. Anthony Giaquinto, whose roots in Bergen County's pizza scene run deep, has opened Fat Bastard and Sons at 434 Route 46, continuing a family legacy of pizzerias.  Giaquinto previously ran Tony G's in South Hackensack, The Balcony in Carlstadt, G Millz in Hoboken and Prime Time Sports Bar in Carlstadt. Giaquinto's mother, Mary Rose Giaquinto, was the longtime owner of Giaquinto's Old Judge, an institution in South Hackensack.  Now, Giaquinto is running Fat Bastard with his two sons, Dominick, a student at M…
'Better Life Out Here': Family's Staten Island Bakery Relocates To NJ After 20 Years 'Better Life Out Here': Family's Staten Island Bakery Relocates To NJ After 20 Years
'Better Life Out Here': Family's Staten Island Bakery Relocates To NJ After 20 Years A Staten Island favorite has moved its sweetness to the Jersey Shore — and it's already a hit. Bruno's Bakery opened at at 356 W. Main St., in Freehold, on Nov. 15, 2022. Mother's Day will be its last day in business in Staten Island.  The bakery is a true family affair involving chef and dad, Biagio Settepani; mom Pina Settepani; son Joseph Settepani; son Salvatore Settepani; daughter Fina Pulaj; and chef Joseph's wife and pastry chef, Daniela Settepani. Biagio emigrated to New York from Italy when he was 12 years old. He worked in his first bakery when he was 17. "Ever since then it's b…
Five-Time World Series Champ Opens Restaurant With Family North Jersey Five-Time World Series Champ Opens Restaurant With Family North Jersey
Five-Time World Series Champ Opens Restaurant With Family North Jersey Charlie Wonsowicz has gone from Yankee pinstripes to pots and pans. Wonsowicz, who won five World Series titles with the New York Yankees as coordinator of advanced scouting, recently opened W's Village Grille with his wife, Leslie, in Waldwick. The family previously owned W's Grill in Oakland. For the Wonsowicz's, the restaurant is a homecoming. The family lives in Waldwick and wanted to open a restaurant in their community, their daughter Paige said. They celebrated a grand opening on Tuesday, April 4. While Charlie's natural home is at the baseball diamond, where he wore #87 for the Bo…
Fordham Grad Trades Corporate Gig For Bergen County Bakeshop Fordham Grad Trades Corporate Gig For Bergen County Bakeshop
Fordham Grad Trades Corporate Gig For Bergen County Bakeshop Baking has always made sense to Despina Kontomanolis. It's methodical, scientific, and she knew if she followed the steps meticulously, she'd get exactly the product she wanted. Baking proved to be imperative to the 36-year-old New Milford after she graduated from Fordham Business School, and began working in the corporate world in 2009. "I felt like my soul was dying," Kontomanolis said. "I was feeling like I wasn't living up to my full potential because I wasn't getting pleasure out of selling insurance or writing up leases." In 2015, she quit her corporate gig at the urging of friends…
North Jersey Mom's Babka Business Gets Brick And Mortar Store North Jersey Mom's Babka Business Gets Brick And Mortar Store
North Jersey Mom's Babka Business Gets Brick And Mortar Store A North Jersey mom who had help from her husband and daughters launching a charitable babka business at the height of the pandemic is moving into a storefront. Hoboken's Michal Prevor started Babka Bailout to help pay her housekeeper's rent at the height of the pandemic. On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Prevor will hold a grand opening for Babka Bailout at its new digs on 476 Central Ave. in Jersey City from 1 to 4 p.m. Babka is a dough filled with chocolate then rolled up or braided and baked.  Babka BailoutBabka Bailout Babka Bailout offers a variety of flavors including Nutella-Oreo, cereal…
Legendary Route 46 Pizzeria Sold After 64 Years In Business Legendary Route 46 Pizzeria Sold After 64 Years In Business
Legendary Route 46 Pizzeria Sold After 64 Years In Business An iconic family-owned pizzeria has been sold after 64 years in business. Pizza Town USA on Route 46 in Elmwood Park made the announcement last week on Facebook. "Pizzatown would like to thank everyone for their loyal patronage over the last 64 years," the wrote. "We have sold our family business but we can assure you that the product will not change. Please support the new owners the same as you supported us over the years. Thank you all very much." Pizza Town has been manned by Michelle and Bruce Tomo, whose dad, Raymond, opened the popular eatery. Raymond died in 2019 at 93 years …
Biggie's Clam Bar In Ramsey Closes Biggie's Clam Bar In Ramsey Closes
Biggie's Clam Bar In Ramsey Closes Biggie's Clam Bar has closed its Ramsey location. The family-owned eatery opened six years ago on Route 17 southbound, attached to the Best Western. Biggie's announced the closing Saturday on its Facebook page, where customers began grieving the Football Sundays, food, chef and more. The restaurant began as a push cart in Hoboken before owner Joseph Yaccarino opened a storefront on Madison Street, in 1946. Yaccarino had moved to the U.S. with his parents and many siblings from Naples, Italy, and recruited his son for the business endeavor. The family's fourth generation took over in…
Fort Lee Pizzeria Thrives Through Changing Times Fort Lee Pizzeria Thrives Through Changing Times
Fort Lee Pizzeria Thrives Through Changing Times Much has changed in Fort Lee since Franco and Antonietta Bazzarelli opened their pizzeria, Franco's Metro. The shop's name. Its location. The menu. But one thing remains constant at Franco's Metro: Loyalty. Bazzarelli's adult kids who spent their childhoods watching their parents build their family's future are the ones spending upwards of 12 hours a day running the show at Franco's Metro. And his customers -- both old and new -- turn up at the store at least twice a week without fail sometimes to eat, sometimes just to say hello. "Our lives are inside of these four walls," sai…