Longtime Owners Of Washington Street Grocery Store And Smoke Shop Say Goodbye

HOBOKEN, NJ — A longtime grocery store on Washington Street, with vintage signage going back decades, is temporarily closed now that the owners are retiring, their son said this week. The space will become part of the barber shop next door.

Jatin and Latika Patel, lovingly known to their customers as Jay and Lilly, have retired as the business owners of Town Smoke and News after 32 years, their son Khusbu Patel said.

The space at 1034 Washington St. will be occupied by D&V Barber Shop (Dominick and Vincent's).

"My parents would like to thank Hoboken for a glorious 32 years in the business," Patel said. "Being immigrants to the U.S., this was their first business and all they ever knew but now time for a well deserved retirement."

The couple, who live in Edison, have "No big retirement plans as of yet but hopefully lots of relaxing and vacationing!" their son said.

'Privilege Signs'

Signs at the shop indicate that it has been a grocery and smoke shop for many years. The Optimo Cigars sign was part of a trend called "Privilege Signs," in which a company — often a soda giant or cigar outfit — would provide a sign with their company logo and allow the store to customize it.

"Privilege Signs are an industry term for the promotional signs installed by large corporations such as Coca-Cola and the Optimo Cigar Company. They were popular in the 1930s through 1960s and received their name because store owners were given the 'privilege' of completing the signs with their own copy," notes the 6sqft site in New York City.

Optimo and Te Amo signs were popular for newspaper shops, the New York Times notes.

Read more about the shop and other business changes happening in Hoboken here: https://patch.com/new-jersey/hoboken/5-business-changes-coming-hoboken-gelato-joint-opening-next-week.

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