By Christina Johnson
A European grocery store has its eye on the piece of Route 35 property currently occupied by the landmark Red Oak Diner.
Lidl, which operates 10,000 grocery stores across Europe and is rolling out a US expansion plan, is coming before the Hazlet Township Land Use Board on September 15. The German retailer has submitted an application for site plan approval to erect a 36,000 square foot standalone store on five acres at 2973 Route 35, near Poole Avenue.
Lidl (pronounced like needle) would need certain variances for its 30-foot high building. It would also seek to expand the parking lot from 147 to 254 spaces.
The Red Oak Diner is owned by Dan Kalyna and Joe Antonakakis of Atlas LLC. In an email, Antonakakis said Tuesday, “The Red Oak will be moving to a new location in Hazlet (assuming the approvals are obtained and the property is sold) that will be smaller and new so that we can continue to serve the Hazlet and surrounding communities as we have for the past 50 years.”
The discount grocer has established a US headquarters in Arlington, Virginia., distribution centers in Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland, and plans to open its first stores in states spanning from New Jersey to Georgia “no later than 2018,” said spokesman William Harwood. The number or location of individual stores has not yet been announced.
“We’re building on a foundation that has made Lidl successful in Europe, while creating something special in the US,” said
Harwood. The stores’ motto is high quality products at the lowest prices, he said. The stores will offer fresh meat, produce,
baked goods and household items. “We think Lidl will be a great thing for customers in New Jersey and the US. We’re
very excited to be coming.”
Lidl is a direct competitor of another Germany-based discount grocer, Aldi, which operates from the ToysRUs shopping plaza across Poole Ave.
The diner location is a highly visible commercial hub, and the area is a magnet for supermarkets. Costco, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Best Market and Dearborn Market are all located within a half mile.
Across Highway 35 is the 204,000 square foot Kmart Plaza
where Pathmark, one of the original supermarkets in the local area closed in 2015, and where Kmart is also expected to close in October. The new owner, Onyx Equity, has not yet disclosed plans for how they will fill the vacancies.
The Red Oak Diner has long been a gathering place for traditional diner food and drinks. In recent years a party room was added, and the restaurant hosts regular kids’ nights, comedy shows, karaoke and community fundraisers.
According to records, the property last sold for $4 million in 2006. Its current tax assessment is $3,488,400. The land was assessed at $2,715,800, and the improvements to the property were assessed at $772,600.
Sept. 20, 2016:
HAZLET – Lidl Supermarket is a step closer to building a 36,000 square foot supermarket with 180 parking spaces at the site of the Red Oak Diner, on Route 35 at Poole Avenue. The township Land Use board granted the European retailer variances, with certain conditions, at its last meeting on Sept. 15. Lidl, which operates in 27 countries, is undergoing a major US expansion. Lidl still has to satisfy a review by the state Dept. of Transportation which oversees the intersection, as well as finalize the sale with Red Oak Diner, which will be demolished. The restaurant owners have said they will relocate to a nearby location.
