By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
CRANBURY — Downtown Cranbury bustles more than usual the second Friday of every month.
Music from the Cranbury Players scored the scene along the corridor of North Main Street, where people from near and far gathered on the evening of June 12 to browse the sidewalk sales of businesses like Twice is Nice, dine outdoors at Cranbury Pizza or Teddy’s Restaurant and enjoy a cold treat at Gil and Bert’s Ice Cream.
“I was just sitting across the street in the grass listening to the Cranbury Players and thinking it doesn’t get any better than this,” Christine Ondocin, owner of Gil and Bert’s, said. “It’s wonderful and I love it.”
The Cranbury Business Association, which is an association of Cranbury professionals and business owners that represents the interest of the business community in Cranbury and performs community service, is partnering with local businesses and community members to host “Second Fridays.” On the second Friday of each month, downtown businesses extend their regular shopping hours and offer special sales and events to provide fun family nights along North Main Street in Cranbury.
Frank Marlowe, a member of the business association, invited town and chocolate lovers to stop by Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty office for showings of the Cranbury video, “Love Where You Live,” and a chocolate fountain. People of all ages were having fun plunging strawberries, marshmallows and graham crackers into the chocolate.
Debbie Eisenbrey, owner of Twice is Nice, a woman’s consignment shop that has been in town for the past three and a half years, said she thinks the “Second Fridays” concept is great.
“I hope the community pulls together and comes out,” she said.
Township Committeeman Glenn Johnson, who is a former mayor and the committee’s liaison to the business administration, said Cranbury has a vibrant downtown thanks to a community that supports it.
“I think so many towns have business districts that have failed with a lot of storefronts boarded up,” Committeeman Johnson said.
He said Cranbury doesn’t have any vacancies at this point.
“Residents come out and support our local businesses,” he said.
To kick off the second “Second Fridays” event, the Cranbury Bookworm held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate its second year in its new location at 79 North Main Street.
Mr. Marlowe said, “This is the business association’s recognition of one of the businesses that we are proud of in Cranbury and we are doing this as part of our ‘Second Fridays’ feature during the summer.”
To find out more about the Cranbury Business Association, visit www.cranburybusinessassociation.com or www.facebook.com/CranburyBusinessAssociation.
