The Alfred N. Sanzari Medical Arts Building at 360 Essex St. in Hackensack — Courtesy: Alfred Sanzari Enterprises
By Joshua Burd
A restaurant and café operator has opened its doors in Hackensack at the base of a well-known medical office building owned by Alfred Sanzari Enterprises.
In a news release Thursday, the real estate firm announced that BITE Food & Coffee Co. is now open at The Alfred N. Sanzari Medical Arts Building at 360 Essex St. The operator occupies 3,000 square feet on the ground floor of the building, which has 84,000 square feet of medical office space near Hackensack University Medical Center.
BITE’s current offerings include breakfast, lunch and specialty coffees and juices, while it plans to also serve brunch and dinner in the near future, the news release said. Sanzari said the new location strikes the balance between an upscale coffee shop and a modern, fast-casual restaurant.
“With the opening of BITE Food & Coffee Co., we are thrilled to offer a unique restaurant and café at The Alfred N. Sanzari Medical Arts Building to better serve our tenants and the community to complement their busy lifestyles,” said Ryan Sanzari, chief operating officer at Alfred Sanzari Enterprises. “We are confident BITE will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood with fresh, exciting food and beverage options in a convenient location and sleek yet relaxing environment for patrons to enjoy for years to come.”
Bergen County natives and father-son duo Mike and Kareem Elzarka developed the concept for BITE after previously running several successful Manhattan cafés together, the news release said. Its new location offers quick access to Interstate 80, routes 17, 4 and 46, the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway.
