New Businesses Opening, But Many Vacancies Remain in Ridgewood CBD

Downtown Ridgewood will be getting a jolt from some new businesses set to open shop in the spring, including yogurt stores, bakeries and some stylish identical twins.

Self-serve yogurt shop got its building permits Thursday and should be opening in March, landlord Eugene Ferraro told Patch Thursday morning. The franchise, which has stores in Fort Lee and Hoboken, will open at 17 N. Broad Street, and .

Likely is also inching toward opening after clearing a potential hurdle with the Historic Preservation Committee, and is eyeing a late winter/early spring date at the site of the old Quizno's.

"Since they changed the ordinance, I've been hearing lots of interest," Ferraro said in a conversation Thursday morning. Both soon-to-open frozen yogurt stores were once barred from the village by the "fast food ordinance," which the council and planning board have since significantly altered.

You also might remember , one of the few men's clothing shops in Ridgewood, would be closed before the end of 2012. In a brief conversation with owner Victor Idy on Wednesday, he said he's reconsidered his position and has plans to stick it out. There are still some good deals going on at , so the gents should consider stopping by.

The good news is Upper E. Ridgewood Ave. will be getting a boost soon from Red Mango and Heidi's Bavarian Bakery, an authentic German bakery.

A few doors down, identical twin reality TV stars "The Moxie Twins," Jamie and Jenna, will be moving its Montclair salon to a second location, in Ridgewood, landlord Bill Gilsenan told Patch Friday. "Olive Organic Spa"will also be in the space.

The twins can be seen on VH1's "Why am I Still Single?" program (Sunday nights) and should be opening up in the spring after some renovations at the old Clive Christian store, he said.

Vacancies remain

There doesn't appear to be much movement in filling the vacancies at what was at the Playhouse building on Willsey Square, nor or on Oak Street as of Friday. 

The westerly side of Chestnut Street is still struggling but could see a revitalization should a few storefronts open soon.

"Lettuce Inn," a restaurant specializing in soups, salads and smoothies is fully furnished and poised to open shortly by all appearances. Japanese market "J-Mart" and Muscle Maker Grill have signage noting they'll be open "soon." Still, the same was true over the summer and there's been no obvious movement.

The space formerly occupied by the Christian Science Reading Room (now in Midland Park) and Tony's Pizza remains vacant.

Back on E. Ridgewood Avenue, the storefronts of Cardventure, Artventure, , a portion of Arthur Groome's and see nary a soul, spare a few leaflets asking for Halloween Tricky Tray donations.