For those that live in the Bergen-Lafayette area, many have noticed construction ongoing these last two years at 451 Communipaw, on the corner of Berry Lane, next to Berry Lane Park. In the big red building, there have been construction crews going in and out, permits in the window and other goings on. Now, finally, The Factory Restaurant and Bar will soon be opening!
Robert Paulino’s labor of love is finally coming to fruition. Mr. Paulino is a lifelong resident of the area and is the current committee member for that particular Lafayette section. He is also the owner of Mango’s on Linden Ave, giving him experience as a restauranteur/manager.
He had had his eye on this abandoned former auto-parts warehouse for some time. Three years ago, he decided to make the leap and has been working on revamping and building out the interior. And within the next few weeks, he will finally be opening his doors to the good people of BeLa and Jersey City!
“I just wanted to have a restaurant that everybody in the neighborhood could come to and eat. There isn’t anything like that right around here,” Mr. Paulino explained for his reason to open Factory. “I like steak, so I wanted to have steak.” The restaurant will feature many steak and meat options as well as seafood and other fare as well. When asked about the costs of his plates, he responded, “I’m not trying to get rich. I’m going to have the best prices in town!” He also said that beers would be affordable at $5 each and up. There is also going to be an extensive wine list.
For this particular writer, he had me at “brunch!” “We are going to have brunch here on the weekends, as well.” This area currently has no brunch options within walking distance, so I know that having this a few blocks away is going to make a lot of residents, both new and veterans, happy!
The inside boasts 20’ ceilings with all of the original brick- and beam-work kept. Robert brought in a master metalworker to create dozens of intricate swirls, decorations, doors and artwork to give the place a “Classic Industrial” look.
There is one large main floor broken into two large rooms. There’s an upstairs loft-style area with more seating as well. There are also going to be TWO outside areas! The first will be right on the corner of Communipaw and Berry Lane, right by the entrance. The other will be out back (where the iron works company used to be) where there will be a tiki bar, you can smoke cigars and eat.
And to assuage the ire of our more delicate residents, Mr. Paulino assures me that it will never be his intention to clear out the tables and turn it into a club late at night. He simply wants to create a family restaurant, with good food at good prices, where friends can drop by after work or come after their tennis match in Berry Lane Park.
The opening is slated for the first or second week of June. We’ll keep you posted on opening day celebrations, and in the meantime, more info can be found by visiting their site here.
