Brokerage firm Coldwell Banker recently began marketing the 2,500-square-foot storefront that was home to Late Nite Hackensack Pizza & Steak for more than a decade. The space and business are located at 687-691 Main Street in the northern section of Hackensack and were listed less than a week after city residents reported on social media that the owner had been locked out of the establishment.
The listing from Coldwell Banker says the current owner is looking for $25,000 to take over the business and that the monthly rent is $3,000. The lease is contingent on the landlord’s approval.
A Facebook post from a local community group said the business was officially closed by April 11, just three days before Coldwell Banker listed the business. An individual who identified himself as Eddie Zammit — who has the same name as the owner of the business, according to a GoFundMe page — said the closure stemmed from an ongoing dispute between the landlord and the pizzeria.
Zammit alleged that he and his team were locked out by their landlord in early April. The same landlord, he alleged, shut down the restaurant two years ago over a gas leak and building violations, and then began a legal dispute over rent paid to Coldwell Banker.
The individual who identified himself as Zammit did not return a request for comment from Jersey Digs.
The pizzeria’s listed phone number was also disconnected as of April 20.
Records from the Bergen County Tax Assessor’s Office show that the property is owned by a limited liability company, Ferro Family Real Estate, based in Toms River. The property spans 2,690 square feet and was built in 1968.
The area immediately surrounding the pizzeria is prime real estate for food establishments, despite relatively lower foot traffic than downtown Hackensack. Several established businesses, including the award-winning deli Cosmo’s Italian Salumeria and another pizzeria, Lido Restaurant, are on the same strip as the Late Nite Hackensack site. The former train station-turned-ice cream shop, Cranberry Junction, which has been recognized as one of the best ice cream stores in the Garden State, also sits just across the street from the pizzeria in Fairmount Park. The historic B&W Bakery, which has been an institution in the city since 1933, sits just down the road from the pizzeria and next to a Target store.
While new apartment development near Hackensack’s train stations and bus terminal has brought hundreds of new residents, the city’s food and beverage industry has continued evolving since COVID-19. Jersey Digs reported that the property home to the Coach House Diner recently closed and was sold to a car wash company, shutting down a family business that was a staple for more than 40 years.
