Westfield Downtown Heating Up: See What New Businesses Are Next

WESTFIELD, NJ - The Westfield downtown has been busy as new businesses have opened and events have been filling the streets with patrons with more on the way. But what is next?

According to our friends at Downtown Westfield:

• Acting Out!, Brooklyn's Premier Acting School, will open at 439 South Ave. W. (in the Root Building at the corner of Westfield Avenue. and South Avenue). According to officials, Acting Out! offers an extensive performing arts curriculum, from kindergarten to college. The entire staff are professional working actors and musicians. Your child will learn in-depth performing arts technique while having fun. Whether your child just needs to break out of her shell, or prepare for a Broadway audition, Acting Out! knows what it takes. www.actingoutonline.com
• Bareburger is set to begin construction soon on their new space at 126 Central Ave., next door to Warby Parker. This upscale burger franchise with a full liquor license offers burgers, salads and sandwiches. Their menu is over one-third vegetarian and plant-based and they work with sustainable farmers and partners. Enjoy everything from a bison burger with blue cheese, bacon, bourbon jam and caramelized onions, to a sweet potato, kale & wild rice patty. www.bareburger.com
• Buddha Fish, a high end sushi and tapas restaurant, will open soon at 35 Elm St. in the former Mojave Grill location. Their new exterior is finished with a beautiful sign and awning.
• Design Hub Home, a lighting, furniture and design company is coming to the corner of Elm & Quimby St. at 22 Elm St. Expanding from their Millburn NJ store, Design Hub Home offers high quality and value in products and services for both residential and commercial clients. 973.258.0000. www.designhubhome.com
• Garden in One, a new ice cream and wraps fast casual restaurant is opening at 116 Elm St., across from Addams Tavern.
• Lions Roar Brewing Co. is coming to Westfield. This microbrewery will be located at the circle on South Ave, and offer a variety of European-influenced and American-loved craft beers. Their indoor and outdoor space will offer patrons a casual setting to socialize with fellow neighbors and beer lovers from Westfield and across the state. They plan to open later in 2019. Follow their social media to keep up with their progress! 517-519 South Ave. W., 908.301.6117. www.LionsRoarBrewing.com
• The Psychic Boutique will open at 27 E. Broad St.

These new businesses open the recently opened Cinnaholic, the newly expanded Spice Bazaar and the Innovasian Taco at 106 Quimby Street. Mayor Shelley Brindle throughout the changes has repeated her view that she does not rely on the downtown vacancy rate as a success metric.

"And I won't, until we have sufficiently addressed the root of the problem, which is a lack of daytime foot traffic," she said. "Retailers and restaurants can not survive on weekend business alone."

Brindle said that local employers are the biggest driver of weekday foot traffic whose employees shop in the stores and eat in the restaurants.

"We have lost hundreds of employees over the last several years due to a lack of employee parking and modern office space," Brindle said. "If we can improve daytime foot traffic, the retail problem will take care of itself."

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