Australian Eatery, Wattle Café, Opens Its First NJ Outpost In Jersey City

JERSEY CITY— An Australian-inspired wellness health brand known for creating food with whole ingredients just opened its third location of Wattle Café in Jersey City’s Powerhouse Arts District, steps from the Grove Street PATH Station.

The new location of Wattle Café occupies 1,000 square feet of space at 351 Marin, the luxury 38-story rental property developed by Kushner Real Estate Group (KRE) and Northwestern Mutual.

The eatery will be connected to the building's large lobby that leads to a new outdoor public plaza on Marin Boulevard.

The Jersey City location follows in the footsteps of Wattle Café’s popular outposts in Murray
Hill and The Financial District in Manhattan.

Wattle takes American classics and puts a healthy spin on them, the compay said in a release. The menu can be tailored to meet customers’ preferences ranging from keto to vegan, and is created with wellness in mind.

Wattle is among several New York businesses that have opened their first New Jersey store in Jersey City recently, including the Brooklyn-based Food Story Natural Market in Journal Square, the Maman bakery on the waterfront, and the Canard Cafe at Jersey City Urby.

“We’re excited to welcome Wattle Café to 351 Marin and Jersey City,” said Jonathan Kushner,
President of KRE Group. “This forward-thinking brand has developed a unique menu that
appeals to a health-conscious customer. Their focus on wellness, along with their commitment to
being a contributing member of the community, is a great complement to the lifestyle we’ve
created at 351 Marin, both for our residents and for the community at large.”

As an Australian cafe, Wattle offers coffee roasted "by an incredible NY-based Australian roaster," they said. "The beans used are roasted in an organic facility and sourced directly from the farmer who has grown them. The integrity of the roasting process evokes complex and remarkable flavors from the beans, which translates to an excellent brew with notes of chocolate and caramel."

Founder Ana Ivkosic said,"With this focus we have created a menu that offers keto, gluten free, vegan and sugar free food options. While dine in orders are our bread and butter, we are able to cater and facilitate larger group orders ... we’re excited for Wattle to become a local fixture in Jersey City.”

Jersey City Is A Destination Post-COVID

“A sizable portion of our customer base are young families who want healthy options for their
children, and millennials who are mindful of what they are eating,” added Ivkosic. “At the
onset of COVID, we saw a number of these customers from our New York City locations
migrate to Jersey City. After conducting research, we found Downtown Jersey City had a similar
demographic base and identified this market as a terrific opportunity for expansion."

Founded by Ivkosic, who is Australian, the cafe describes itself as a "woman-owned migrant led local business that began in NYC in 2017."

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Jersey City, KRE is a real estate management and investment company with properties in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Wattle in Jersey City is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit www.wattlecafe.com.

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