Jersey City Eatery Run By NYC Restaurateur Closes For Good: Here's Why

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Last year, New York City restaurateur Dimitri Liberis moved his Jersey City burger joint from the bustling downtown area to the Journal Square section of town, away from the waterfront and toward a neighborhood in the throes of redevelopment.

But they just couldn't make it work. Last week, Liberis announced that Speedy's Burgers and Bowls would close on Friday.

Liberia told Patch this week that the spot never fulfilled the owners' hopes.

"We closed this past Friday after operating for 10 months in Journal Square," he said. "We were open for four years in Paulus Hook prior to this location. The concept seemed to work better in that neighborhood, but were unable to stay due to lease issues."

When the eatery opened in the new location last November, Liberis — who also owns the West Village gastropub The Warren — said the intent was to offer food at "accessible" prices.

But foot traffic in his new location was a problem, he said.

"The Hilltop section of Journal Square has very little foot traffic during the day and absolutely none after 5 p.m.," he said. "Needless to say, the courthouse and Dickinson High School were not enough to keep us solvent."

The central Journal Square neighborhood, which includes a PATH station, is on the rise, with skyscrapers designed by Kushner Real Estate and other major developers.

Liberis said the area has a promising future.

"With all the new building happening, I think it will be an exciting time for growth over the next five years in Journal Square," he said, "but my partners and I decided it might be a bit too expensive to wait and see."

Several longtime North Jersey restaurants have announced their closings in the last few months, for a variety of reasons. Read more here.

Do you know about a restaurant opening or closing in North Jersey? Let Patch know so we can write about it. Email us here.

READ MORE: Speedy's JC Moves To Journal Square