By Sunayana Prabhu
RED BANK – An elevated, thoughtfully curated food hall concept called Anderson Market will soon anchor the street-level space in the Anderson Building at 200 Monmouth St., replacing the former Sickles Market.
The project is being developed by Asbury Park-based hospitality group Culture Collective, which operates several popular restaurants in the region, including Barrio Costero and Reyla, and Laylow cocktail lounge, all in Asbury Park. The ethos of the business is at the meeting point of food and culture, explained Chris Viola, the owner of Culture Collective.
“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are,” was French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin’s much-celebrated quote in his book “Physiology of Taste.” And this provides another subtext for the food hall that will offer 9,000 square feet of a gastronomical experience for the diverse palate, its creators say.
The fact that the borough is on its way to earning the state’s transit village designation is a huge incentive for new businesses, especially in the hospitality industry, and can help it get over the pandemic slump that nearly drowned them.
The former tenant of the space, Sickles Market, opened during the COVID-19 pandemic but was unable to gain traction. The Sickles Market flagship store in Little Silver subsequently closed, and its owner Robert Sickles later filed for bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy case is currently ongoing.
“As the neighborhood grows and evolves around it, we envision the project as a preferred place to connect and feel connected,” said Chris Cole, owner and managing partner of Metrovation that owns the Anderson Building.
Culture Collective’s Viola believes the project has the potential to become a regional destination. “I think it’ll have a great impact on the train station as well as the West Side of Red Bank. We’re excited to bring something different and unique to the area,” Viola said.
Booskerdoo, currently operating from the space, will remain a featured kiosk. Confirmed vendors occupying the balance of the 9,000 square feet include Local 130 Seafood and Molly Boards, a charcuterie, sandwich and snack vendor. The group is also in talks with several other potential partners to round out the diverse culinary offerings.
Additionally, the space will feature a traditional grocery market that offers produce, meats and other grocery staples. The space will feature integrated seating for about 80 people throughout the market and a dedicated communal lounge area designed to resemble a hotel lobby. “We’re looking to fill the needs of the community,” Viola said. “There’s an opportunity for us to do high-quality food at a more convenient and approachable price point than a full sit-down restaurant,” he said, noting a change in consumer patterns.
“The consumer’s appetite for going out to an expensive dinner a couple of nights a week has shifted,” he said. The project will be completed in two phases, with the initial 50% of the space expected to open this spring. The remaining portion will follow in the summer.
The new food hall comes as Red Bank’s West Side is poised for significant growth with the planned Denholtz Transit Village development, a high-density mixed-use project set to bring hundreds of new residential units to the area.
The article originally appeared in the February 13 – 19, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
