By Sunayana Prabhu
RED BANK – The gateway to the borough’s downtown at the southern end of Coopers Bridge is set for a makeover – and perhaps a tasty stopover.
Restaurateur Victor Rallo, in partnership with architecture firm Mancini Duffy, has finalized plans for his new restaurant, Rallo Alimentari & Focacceria. Construction on the site is expected to begin in the coming months with an opening targeted for early 2027.
The new restaurant planned on the former Bridge Avenue Gas property at 187 Riverside Ave. will be anchored by an official “Welcome to Red Bank” sign. The sign was promised to the town by Rallo as part of the project. It will go up where the former Bridge Avenue Gas sign currently stands on the same structure and at the same height.
The billboard on the property will stay in place through 2041 under an existing lease by the billboard company Outfront Media LLC. The full site plan includes new parking, landscaping and curb work.
According to Rallo’s son, Jake Rallo, the concept of the new restaurant draws on Milan’s café culture, blending a traditional European café with the feel of an Italian neighborhood gathering spot. It will operate as an all-day café and transition into a restaurant each evening. The restaurant will serve house-made laminated pastries, sandwiches on freshly baked focaccia, seasonal small plates and an exclusively Italian beverage program.
The highly visible site at a four-way intersection is often called the Gateway to Red Bank as it bends along Riverside Avenue into the historic downtown. The site faces the upcoming Saxum development to the north and extends along Bridge Avenue to the east.
The property was purchased last year by All Things Vic LLC, which is controlled by Rallo, who also owns Birravino, the restaurant next door. The new eatery will share a liquor license with Birravino.
Construction on Rallo Alimentari & Focacceria is already underway, and renderings are expected to be presented to borough officials as soon as this week for final sign-off.
This article originally appeared in the August 6 – August 12, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
