Cruisin’ in South River

Car shows described as helping to revive the downtown district

By jennifer dome
Staff Writer

By jennifer dome
Staff Writer

Cruise Night will zoom back into South River next Thursday, bringing classic cars, good eats and disc jockey entertainment.

It’s the second of three Cruise Nights to be held in the borough this year, and organizers and many local business people were thrilled with the results of the first.

"It reminded me of the way it used to be — people of all ages walking around downtown, looking into stores," Mike Barry, owner of the South River Pub on Main Street, said of the first Cruise Night held Aug. 15.

Barry, who has owned the pub for 22 years with his wife, Lil, said that the event brought more families back to the downtown area of the borough than he has seen in some time.

"Downtown South River, years ago, was a really, really nice place to be," Barry said, noting that it is possible the downtown area has been less frequented because many borough residents have gotten older. He said he also feels more people are using larger shopping malls or chain stores to purchase goods, rather than the smaller, local stores.

Another Main Street business, Villaggio’s Food Empor-um, opened its doors Aug. 15, and served hot dogs outside on the sidewalk.

According to Borough Councilman Tele Koukourdelis, all businesses in the downtown area were given permission to set up tables and displays, and to sell goods outside during Cruise Night.

"It’s nice to see the community downtown again. It really felt like a small town," Villaggio’s owner Joseph Fucci said this week.

The brain behind the borough’s Cruise Night belongs to Peter Guindi, a 29-year-old lifelong South River resident. As the owner of Mobile Creations, an automobile accessory and detailing business in Edison, Guindi’s interest in a classic cars and entertainment night is obvious. He said that after years of traveling to the popular Cruise Nights held regularly in Freehold Borough, Monmouth County, he decided to jump-start one of his own in his hometown.

Since Guindi is a member of the borough Planning Board, he already had connections to the Borough Council and emergency services. Fortunately, local businessmen such as Scott Laffin of Laffin Chevrolet Oldsmobile, and Skeeter Spitaleri of Spitaleri Furniture were eager to lend a hand as well.

"Our first turnout was unbelievable," Guindi said.

Officials estimated that 2,000 people participated Aug. 15.

"The last event was extremely successful. The turnout was fantastic," Spitaleri said.

Laffin and Spitaleri are among the business owners supporting the Cruise Nights by sponsoring the banner over Main Street and paying for the disc jockey, Guindi said.

"I tried to keep all the sponsors in South River itself," Guindi added.

More than 100 vehicles, including classic cars, compact cars and motorcycles lined Main and Ferry streets in August, he said. Spitaleri said that, for the Sept. 19 Cruise Night, both Stephens Avenue and Thomas Street may also be used for the vehicles.

"There are a lot of car enthusiasts around. [Cruise Night] pulls people from a lot of different areas," Laffin said. He added that one car shown during the last Cruise Night was purchased from his dealership in 1950.

Guindi said that he hopes to continue the three Cruise Nights held this year — the third is set for Oct. 17 — by holding one each month from May through October next year.

Next Thursday’s event will see one new addition when three awards are given away, Guindi said. Trophies will be awarded for "Best of Show," "Best Paint" and "Most Original," he said.

According to Barry, some business owners may complain they are losing business since a section of Main Street is closed during the Cruise Night hours. However, Barry said he hopes people will see the big picture.

Whether it is a Cruise Night or a children’s event, which he noted would not necessarily drum up business for his bar, Barry said he knows community events in the downtown area are a good investment. He believes that people who visit the downtown area will come back once they see what it has to offer.

Spitaleri agreed, adding, "We have a lot of things in town that other towns don’t have."

Spitaleri said he didn’t sell a lot of furniture Aug. 15, but more than 360 people signed up for a raffle he promoted to win a prize from the store. He said people were able to look around his store and see what he and other businesses downtown were about.

"It really means a lot to me to see this thing succeed," he said.