A café that is relatively new to the Jersey City food scene is now serving nighttime drinks and an after-hours dinner menu as the team behind Almost Home has launched its latest vision.
The Café at Journal Square is now offering a new menu served from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, complete with a bar. Jersey Digs reported way back in 2024 on a liquor license being acquired for the business, and two years later, the full experience is complete.
The After Hours menu includes select beers and wines as well as comfort food favorites like loaded nachos, loaded fries, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Highlights include a Thai chili fried chicken sandwich or a cowboy burger with BBQ sauce, cheddar, bacon, and fried onions.
The Café at Journal Squared is operated by Almost Home, a New Jersey-based brand with 10 locations. Founder Robert Doran partnered with Journal Squared developer KRE to create a public café inside the development’s lobby that serves as a gathering place.
“Ever since we opened The Café at Journal Squared last year, our goal was to eventually expand the menu and the operating hours,” Mr. Doran said. “KRE had the vision to build a beautiful, welcoming café right inside of its lobby, and we could immediately see that this was the perfect setting for a place to hang out in the evening as well.”
The After Hours menu complements the café’s popular daytime service that features premium coffees, baked goods, wraps, and salads. Fans of later caffeination should not fret, as coffee and espresso drinks will remain available at the café until close.
Located at 595 Pavonia Avenue on the northern side of the complex, The Café at Journal Squared boasts seating for more than 50 guests, including bar seating, tables and chairs, sofas, and even rope swing chairs. KRE President Jonathan Kusher said creating a lively lobby with a public café as its centerpiece was one of the company’s main goals.
“We enjoy working with partner businesses like Almost Home that contribute positively to the culture, vibrancy, and quality of life that Jersey City residents enjoy,” Mr. Kushner said. “Our goal right from the beginning was to make the Journal Square lobby a place for community connection, and we are proud that Almost Home is helping us take that goal to the next level with the launch of its After Hours concept.”
The three-tower Journal Squared development includes 36,000 square feet of street-level retail space, with retail tenants including Whealth Kitchen, Food Story Natural Market and Cangiano’s Marketplace. A Paris Baguette outpost is also set to open at the complex in the coming months.
