235 Grand in Jersey City — Courtesy: Kushner Real Estate Group/Ironstate Development Co.
By Joshua Burd
A prepared meal delivery service is opening its first retail location, taking space at a new Jersey City apartment tower built by Kushner Real Estate Group and Ironstate Development Co.
The developers announced Monday that Cavany Foods, a full-service company that delivers fresh, organic food, has signed a 1,750-square-foot lease at 235 Grand. The new space will include a gourmet market offering everything from prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner meals to coffee, desserts and other items, while also serving as the new home of the business’ existing commercial kitchen.
Grid Real Estate brokered the transaction.
“Cavany Foods is a local business with a loyal following and a high-quality product. We’re delighted to partner with them on their first retail location,” said Jonathan Kushner, president of KRE Group. “When we select a retail tenant for one of our buildings, we consider the impact it will have on our residents and the community at large. In this case, the benefit was clear.”
Cavany Foods was founded in 2017 by Alejandro Ferrer, who hails from Venezuela, attended the School for Food and Hotel Management in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and today calls Jersey City home, according to a news release. Its commercial kitchen, currently in Jersey City’s Bergen-Lafayette section, serves a popular home delivery service that’s operated through an app.
The business became a staple at the annual Grove Street Farmers Market and quickly built up a loyal following of patrons who responded to its variety of gourmet recipes ranging from Continental and American cuisine to vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, the news release said. Cavany also launched a popular subscription meal delivery service, bringing hundreds of local residents fresh organic food to their door.
More than 80 percent of its clientele comes from downtown Jersey City, Ferrer said, noting that customers have long asked when he was going to open a brick-and-mortar location.
“We decided to open at 235 Grand because it is in an area with a lot of pedestrian traffic, close to the PATH and the downtown commercial district and near our existing customer base,” Ferrer said. “We also like the idea of setting up shop in a brand new building whose residents will essentially be using us like room service. It’s the perfect location for our business to grow.”
Business for the company is up 50 percent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Ferrer, with more people working from home, ordering multiple meals per day and wanting fresh, healthy food.
“We are proud to be serving the community during these challenging times and are thankful that we are able to contribute to the health and well-being of our customers in our own way,” he added. “At the same time, we are planning for a brighter future. We believe our gourmet market at 235 Grand will be a popular neighborhood destination, giving us an opportunity to offer an in-store experience while also expanding our app-based, home delivery service.”
The latest joint venture between KRE and Ironstate, 235 Grand luxury opened last summer with 549 luxury apartments. The 46-story building offers modern indoor and outdoor amenities, dramatic views and a convenient location within walking distance of light rail, PATH and NY Waterway ferry service.
The developers and their leasing team, The Marketing Directors, have leased more than 90 percent of the studios, one- and two-bedroom homes.
