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Post by admin on Oct 2, 2008 4:27:03 GMT -5
Zebu Forno Signs Lease for Former Cornerstone Cafe Site in Freehold Last update: 11:46 a.m. EDT Oct. 1, 2008 FREEHOLD, N.J., Oct 01, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Moving to bring its European-style bakery-cafe concept to a prime location in the heart of downtown Freehold's 'restaurant row,' Zebu Forno has signed a lease for the site of the former Cornerstone Cafe at the intersection of West Main Street and South Street (Route 79). The Red Bank-based franchise chain expects to open its fourth New Jersey cafe in the Monmouth County seat early January following a comprehensive remodeling of the 2,300-square-foot store's interior and exterior that will include the addition of sidewalk seating to the 60 to 70 seats inside. Plans call for the new Zebu Forno to be developed as a company-owned location before operations are turned over to a franchisee. "We had been looking in downtown Freehold for some time, but had been unable to find a space that met our requirements for foot traffic and visibility," explained Andrew Gennusa, president of Zebu Forno Franchise LLC. "When we learned that this site became available, we decided to forego our normal process under which we first line up a franchisee and then work with them to find a suitable location. As a true 'main and main' location in a thriving county seat that offers strong traffic during our breakfast, lunch and evening day-parts, this was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. Accordingly, we will build out the space and operate the cafe until we have selected and trained a franchise operator." Zebu Forno's extensive menu includes fresh-baked breads, muffins, bagels, and pastries; breakfast sandwiches; omelets; homemade soups; Panini sandwiches, wraps and other hot and cold sandwiches served on home-baked breads; handmade thin-crust pizzas; fresh salads; quiche; gelato; fresh fruit cups; espresso drinks; a variety of coffees and teas; and a soft drink selection that includes Boylan's soda on tap. All menu items are available for takeout, augmented by a selection of Zebu travel mugs, shirts, caps and other branded items merchandised throughout the stores. The chain's locations are designed to convey a sense of a 'town gathering place'--a relaxed setting where people of all ages can meet and sit for hours without feeling pressured. Features include free Wi-Fi, flat screen TVs, satellite music, brick walls, wood plank flooring, original murals celebrating great artists of the past, and seating at conventional tables, stool-height tables and groupings of Indonesian roll back easy chairs. The cafe's oven and baking preparation area are strategically situated at the front of the store to allow patrons and passersby to view the baking process first-hand. "All those features will be found in the Freehold cafe, as we 'Zebu-ize' the old Cornerstone space during the course of our remodeling project," said Gennusa. Bill Parlamis, president of VJM Realty Holdings LLC, owners of the Freehold building that will house Zebu, noted that the chain was among the 25 to 30 prospective tenants to look at the space after he placed a "For Rent" sign in the window. "After I met Andrew Gennusa and visited their stores in Red Bank and Holmdel, I put Zebu at the top of my list as the best fit for this town," he said. "Zebu will be a great addition to the downtown's diverse restaurant scene for all three meal times, while also providing an alcohol-free alternative during the evening hours. I'm very excited to have them as a tenant." Zebu's flagship company-owned location opened in 2001 on Broad Street in downtown Red Bank. The brand launched its franchise program in 2007 with the opening of a 3,000-square-foot location in The Commons at Holmdel lifestyle center on Highway 35 in northern Monmouth County. This was followed earlier this year with the opening of another franchised location on River Street in Hoboken, as the company moved forward on its plan to develop into a regional chain with 10 franchised locations in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania over a three to five-year period. For Zebu Forno franchise information, visit the company's website, www.zebuforno.com. SOURCE Zebu Forno |
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Post by lisas84 on Oct 2, 2008 8:21:48 GMT -5
This is truly a first class operation. The food is to die for. Well, live for actually. Hearty, healthy, fresh, tasty and quite nourishing. I am looking forward to many fulfilling and delicious meals here.
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Post by botaniseur on Oct 2, 2008 11:25:19 GMT -5
Great choice for downtown...will be there often.
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Post by admin on Oct 2, 2008 15:41:11 GMT -5
When we learned that this site became available, we decided to forego our normal process under which we first line up a franchisee and then work with them to find a suitable location. As a true 'main and main' location in a thriving county seat that offers strong traffic during our breakfast, lunch and evening day-parts, this was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.
When I saw this release this morning, it was a great surprise. This is a shot in the arm that the doctor ordered. Without doubt, Zebu is a very good business to have in town. It is great to see a bit of Red Bank quality opening up shop here.
The part I highlighted really stuck out in a good way. This is a fantastic advertisement for Freehold Borough. This shows businesses not running away, but can't wait to get in!
The entire press release was a real breath of fresh air. And we are getting a great new business. Freehold wins this one.
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Post by admin on Oct 3, 2008 16:12:00 GMT -5
Just have to mention. I put my email on this site so people can reach out to me with questions.
I received a really good email from an unkown person who was very enthusiastic about the news of Zebu coming to town.
This person tried to register and post but had trouble. I will work with this person to get him/her registered and figure out what the problem is.
This person had a very good optimistic attitude. I really hope we can get that "Voice" here with the rest of us.
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Post by admin on Oct 8, 2008 15:52:28 GMT -5
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2008/1008/front_page/039.htmlZebu Forno will open in Freehold FREEHOLD — Moving to bring its European style bakery-café concept to a prime location in the heart of downtown Freehold Borough's "restaurant row," Zebu Forno has signed a lease for the site of the former Cornerstone Caffé at the intersection of West Main and South streets. According to a press release, the Red Bank-based franchise chain expects to open its fourth New Jersey café in the Monmouth County seat in early January following a comprehensive remodeling of the 2,300- square-foot store's interior and exterior that will include the addition of sidewalk seating to the 60 to 70 seats inside. Plans call for the new Zebu Forno to be developed as a company owned location before operations are turned over to a franchisee. "We had been looking in downtown Freehold for some time, but had been unable to find a space that met our requirements for foot traffic and visibility," explained Andrew Gennusa, president of Zebu Forno Franchise LLC. "When we learned that this site became available, we decided to forego our normal process under which we first line up a franchisee and then work with them to find a suitable location. "As a true 'main and main' location in a thriving county seat that offers strong traffic during our breakfast, lunch and evening dayparts, this was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. Accordingly, we will build out the space and operate the café until we have selected and trained a franchise operator," Gennusa said. Zebu Forno's menu includes fresh-baked breads, muffins, bagels, and pastries; breakfast sandwiches; omelets; homemade soups; Panini sandwiches, wraps and other hot and cold sandwiches served on home-baked breads; handmade thin-crust pizzas; fresh salads; quiche; gelato; fresh fruit cups; espresso drinks; a variety of coffees and teas; and a soft drink selection that includes Boylan's soda on tap. All menu items are available for takeout, augmented by a selection of Zebu travel mugs, shirts, caps and other branded items merchandised throughout the stores. According to the press release, the chain's locations are designed to convey a sense of a "town gathering place" — a relaxed setting where people of all ages can meet and sit for hours without feeling pressured. Features include free Wi-Fi, flat screen TVs, satellite music, brick walls, wood plank flooring, original murals celebrating great artists of the past, and seating at conventional tables, stoolheight tables and groupings of Indonesian roll back easy chairs. The café's oven and baking preparation area are strategically situated at the front of the store to allow patrons and passersby to view the baking process firsthand. "All those features will be found in the Freehold café, as we 'Zebu-ize' the old Cornerstone space during the course of our remodeling project," said Gennusa. Bill Parlamis, president of VJM Realty Holdings LLC, owners of the Freehold building that will house Zebu, noted that the chain was among the 25 to 30 prospective tenants to look at the space after he placed a "For Rent" sign in the window. "After I met Andrew Gennusa and visited their stores in Red Bank and Holmdel, I put Zebu at the top of my list as the best fit for this town," he said. "Zebu will be a great addition to the downtown's diverse restaurant scene for all three meal times, while also providing an alcohol-free alternative during the evening hours. I'm very excited to have them as a tenant." Zebu's flagship company-owned location opened in 2001 on Broad Street in downtown Red Bank. The brand launched its franchise program in 2007 with the opening of a 3,000- square-foot location in The Commons at Holmdel lifestyle center on Route 35 in northern Monmouth County. That was followed earlier this year with the opening of another franchised location on River Street in Hoboken, as the company moved forward on its plan to develop into a regional chain with 10 franchised locations in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania over a three- to fiveyear period, according to the press release.
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Post by admin on Nov 1, 2008 13:09:30 GMT -5
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Post by Bermuda98 on Nov 1, 2008 13:32:28 GMT -5
What a fantastic addition to our downtown......can't wait!
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Post by admin on Nov 1, 2008 13:38:51 GMT -5
What a fantastic addition to our downtown......can't wait! I had a hunch that you would post something favorable about this.  Not long ago, the wife and I were in Red Bank and we made it a point to take a close look at the existing establishment there. It will be a very nice addition for us. |
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Post by admin on Dec 18, 2008 13:18:57 GMT -5
The new Zebo Forno has signs up saying they will be open in winter of 2009. They have certainly been doing a great deal of work of there and the building looks ten tmes better -not that it was bad off to start.
Between this and the American Hotel coming along, down town is looking better.
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Post by novillero on Dec 18, 2008 14:18:28 GMT -5
...will be open in wither of 2009. When the heck is that??? What that is, is the need to use spell check or proof read my post before publishing it.  |
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Post by admin on Dec 18, 2008 14:36:36 GMT -5
...will be open in wither of 2009. When the heck is that??? What that is, is the need to use spell check or proof read my post before publishing it. What that is, is the need to use spell check or proof read my posts before publishing them. |
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Post by novillero on Feb 2, 2009 16:50:25 GMT -5
Rumor was that Zebu Fornos was going to open this week. But work is still being done - even as I type.
The new rumor is that it will open in 2 weeks.
Check back in 2 weeks to see if the rumor was true.
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Post by admin on Feb 11, 2009 19:58:10 GMT -5
Zebu Forno is now open
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Post by admin on Feb 19, 2009 17:11:18 GMT -5
finally went to this place... it was very good. Saw one of our site participants there.
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Post by Bermuda98 on May 29, 2009 7:24:09 GMT -5
Zebu is now selling amazing, HOME MADE CUPCAKES! I tried a red velvet one last evening and it was DIVINE. There are three or four other varieties that must be tried! Amongst others, the manager visited Magnolia and Crumbs Bakeries in Manhattan to assist in the perfecting of his recipe......and perfection he has achieved! Go get thee MANY! Dinner party dessert.....YUM!
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Post by admin on May 29, 2009 15:25:08 GMT -5
Zebu is now selling amazing, HOME MADE CUPCAKES! I tried a red velvet one last evening and it was DIVINE. There are three or four other varieties that must be tried! Amongst others, the manager visited Magnolia and Crumbs Bakeries in Manhattan to assist in the perfecting of his recipe......and perfection he has achieved! Go get thee MANY! Dinner party dessert.....YUM! A pretty little song bird told me about these cup cakes not that long ago. I will have to try them. |
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Post by admin on Jul 10, 2009 5:01:33 GMT -5
Found this on line. Very nice write up..... www.njand.com/news/magazine.php/2009/07/09/recipe_for_successRecipe for Success There are hundreds of recipes for any dish, but some distinctive formulas earn many more devotees than others. The same can be said for a restaurant concept. Basically, all restaurants serve food in space enclosed by walls. But combine just the right amount of ingenuity, marketing, branding, and perfectly chosen locations, and voila! You’ve created the perfect formula for not only satisfying customers but surviving an economic downturn. The Italian-style bakery café chain Zebu Forno has four franchises in place and, despite being less than a decade old, is firmly on track to open 16 more franchises throughout New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. Its fourth location opened on Morristown’s famed green in early June, preceded by only five months by a successful opening in downtown Freehold Borough—effectively doubling its presence in the midst of the worst downturn since the Great Depression. But Zebu Forno’s formula for growth includes neither luck nor chance. The prized ingredient is founder and CEO Andrew Gennusa’s keenly developed know-how, borne from his previous experience creating Manhattan Bagels, one of the most successful bagel franchises in the U.S. When Gennusa opened the first Manhattan Bagels in 1987, the store’s concept and branding were so well received that he decided to take it on the road—by initiating a franchise program that launched a whopping 440 Manhattan Bagels locations nationwide in only 10 years. Manhattan Bagels’ franchising grew so quickly—doubling in number each year for five straight years—that the rocketing growth incurred financial issues within the corporate structure. In 1997 Manhattan Bagels declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. A year later, the company was out of trouble and ripe for sale. “Bankruptcy is not a four-letter word,” Gennusa says. “If your company is relatively healthy or sustainable for some capacity in the future, you can go in and come out of it; you can be protected and use it for the guidelines with which it was designed. That’s what we did. After we came out of the protection, we successfully sold it. This was, without a doubt, the ultimate learning experience for me.” Gennusa spent two years working with Manhattan Bagels’ new owners before officially moving on in 2000. Meanwhile, he spent time with his friend Victor Rolla, proprietor of the very popular Zebu Coffee in downtown Red Bank. At his coffeehouse, Rolla was using the same basic recipe that made Manhattan Bagels so popular: an attractive and pristine interior design, a superior quality product for a reasonable price, and a great logo as the centerpiece for major branding initiatives. It just needed…something more. When the former baker and the coffeehouse owner decided to combine their expertise and experience, the concept of Zebu Forno was born Vic knew great coffee and service; I knew the high-quality bakery end,” Gennusa says. “It made sense to partner [concepts], to combine delicious fresh food that goes well with coffee for breakfast, lunch, and post-dinner snacking. I mean, at this point, unless you’re Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, you have no business competing in the coffee business,” he says. Gennusa and Rolla kept the name Zebu and added Forno, the Italian word for bakery. Together with two other partners, including Gennusa’s brother, also a successful restaurateur, Gennusa and Rolla opened their first Zebu Forno in 2001. Three years later, Rolla decided to opt out of the business, and by 2005, “the whole partnership structure started to fall apart,” Gennusa recalls. “I bought out Victor and the other two partners and I was left holding the entire Zebu Forno concept, which by then was basically stagnant. I had the sole view on the vision of the business, that it was ripe for franchising, but my partners were not that convinced. They agreed to be bought out and this was done quite amicably.” Up until last year when the economy suddenly plummeted, Zebu Forno had averaged a 10 percent-plus sales increase per year since 2005. Its first franchise was sold and up and running in early 2007 in Holmdel Commons, followed by an opening in Hoboken in 2008. Although the Hoboken location has performed steadily, Gennusa and the franchise owner recently decided the recipe needed one more pinch of zest, and moved the store from its slightly left-of-center location on River Street to Washington Street in Hoboken. With franchises located straight on the pulse of thriving downtowns—in Red Bank, Freehold, Holmdel, Hoboken, and Morristown—Zebu Forno’s adaptogenic essence can either relax or rev up its customers, making the café perfectly suitable to flowing and blending with the rhythms of virtually any downtown environs. Yet even Zebu Forno’s good locations, reasonably priced menu of fresh food items, and aggressive branding (including event sponsoring and community support), hasn’t shielded the company completely from the impact of the ailing economy. “At the end of 2008 as the economy slowed, so did sales volumes in our stores,” Gennusa admits. “It was a blow, as we tend to operate in high-end towns where business has been pulled away. Red Bank has been losing retailers, yet the rent levels are still the same; Monmouth County laid off about 100 workers in Freehold and we lost regulars.” But Gennusa also recognizes that the downturn has an upside—it’s the perfect time for franchising. “So many people are unemployed and tired of working for companies where they have no control over their futures,” he says. “Franchises are also selling for people who want to change careers and solidify their futures. In addition, rents are at an all-time low—you can get a premium space that doesn’t cost premium dollars. The real challenge here is that financing is also much more difficult than ever. But people are finding ways, which shows without a doubt that the entrepreneurial spirit is stronger than ever.” Although Gennusa expects the economy to remain a challenge for the foreseeable future, he is powerfully optimistic. “Those who survive this will come out stronger than they ever were,” he says, “and I believe we at Zebu Forno will be able to cling on [throughout] the turbulent ride through [to] the inevitable rebirth.” |
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Post by admin on Jul 10, 2009 15:21:03 GMT -5
Wow! I didn't know my article was online so soon! I usually wait for the print version. Thanks for posting, Brian! How could I not post it, Lisa, As always you do good work. This is a great write up for a business that is an asset to our town. It is good to show these things off. |
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Post by admin on Jul 11, 2009 6:46:18 GMT -5
While we are on the topic of Zubu Forno, I understand that they are going to have live entertainment every Thursday and possibly on week ends. I do not have the specific details, but will keep an eye out and post them.
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