The Progress-Index
PETERSBURG - A two-alarm fire sent flames and smoke billowing into the air in west Petersburg on Friday afternoon. The blaze started outside of a warehouse behind the old Pepsi Co. bottling plant on W. Washington Street. A column of black smoke could be seen from both Old Towne and Wagner Road.
The fire began at the center of a large open space filled with wooden palettes holding layers of Styrofoam. Fire Crews had mostly contained the fire to that center portion of the Styrofoam palettes within 30 minutes of arriving on scene.
While still spreading, the fire latched onto a warehouse at the back of the 2.53-acre property, though fire officials say they were able to contain it before there was any significant damage to the structure.
N.J. restaurants’ latest crisis? A massive labor shortage.
Updated 7:50 AM;
Today 6:30 AM
Sous chef Robert Guldin prepares mussels during dinner rush at the Water Star Grille at The Reeds at Shelter Haven in Stone Harbor last June. The waning COVID-19 pandemic has reignited interest in dining out, but restaurants are struggling to rebuild their staffs to match the appetite.Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
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If Tania Calabrese is in the kitchen, something has gone terribly wrong.
The co-owner of Nettie’s House of Spaghetti, a retro-chic pasta joint in Tinton Falls, usually handles front-of-house management, and since 2018 has elevated Nettie’s into one of Central Jersey’s hottest Italian eateries.
Outdoor dining plazas are back. See which N.J. towns are closing streets again.
Updated 12:23 PM;
Today 12:00 PM
The outdoor dining scene in Red Bank last summer, where blocked off streets gave the city a block party feel. (Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
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When the COVID-19 pandemic made indoor dining impossible in 2020, outdoor dining became crucial to keeping the food and dining industry alive. As restaurants looked to expand al fresco, towns and cities around New Jersey found a way to get them more space: blocking off streets to create pedestrian walkways.
The result was one of the few silver linings of the pandemic. Downtowns took on block party vibes. Streets once filled with cars were now lined with tables and customers. Floundering restaurants were given a much-needed life raft.