RUMSON – For Paul Stout, who ran Butler’s Deli for 15 years at 91 East River Road, there is nothing about getting up at 4:30 a.m. he misses.
But the people, that’s another story. Since closing the neighborhood breakfast and lunch shop two years ago, Stout has been thinking about how much he misses life behind the counter.
“I love the neighborhood. I love the kids. I love seeing everybody in the morning,” said Stout, who lives in Rumson.
So recently, he decided to come out of retirement. And now he’s planning to re-open the popular gathering place as Butler’s Market in about five weeks, to be pretty much like it was before. The name might be different, but most everything will be the same.
Back on the menu will be the famed McEddy, that hard roll sandwich made with chicken tenders, bacon and cheese that was a favorite with famished highschoolers. There will be some new salads for healthy eaters.
But the people, that’s another story. Since closing the neighborhood breakfast and lunch shop two years ago, Stout has been thinking about how much he misses life behind the counter.
“I love the neighborhood. I love the kids. I love seeing everybody in the morning,” said Stout, who lives in Rumson.
So recently, he decided to come out of retirement. And now he’s planning to re-open the popular gathering place as Butler’s Market in about five weeks, to be pretty much like it was before. The name might be different, but most everything will be the same.
Back on the menu will be the famed McEddy, that hard roll sandwich made with chicken tenders, bacon and cheese that was a favorite with famished highschoolers. There will be some new salads for healthy eaters.
And returning to the covered porch will be a new set of the four multi-colored Adirondack Chairs, the so-called “Bench of Knowledge,” where a group of six neighborhood regulars often gathered with coffee, muffins and bagels in the morning, to work out the world’s problems.
“That will be kind of ‘the sign,’ when people see the chairs out front, that it’s getting close to opening,” said Stout.
Meanwhile, Stout is busy renovating the interior of the shop, putting things back in place, to where they were before.
“Retirement was nice, but I’m looking forward to getting back to seeing the people and hearing what’s going on in their lives and hearing the local banter,” he said. “I didn’t realize how much I missed it.”
— By Christina Johnson
“That will be kind of ‘the sign,’ when people see the chairs out front, that it’s getting close to opening,” said Stout.
Meanwhile, Stout is busy renovating the interior of the shop, putting things back in place, to where they were before.
“Retirement was nice, but I’m looking forward to getting back to seeing the people and hearing what’s going on in their lives and hearing the local banter,” he said. “I didn’t realize how much I missed it.”
— By Christina Johnson
