After only slightly over a year and a half since Jack’s Café closed in Westwood , the restaurant will be reopening in River Vale, but not without some changes.
Jack’s Café closed in December 2022 after 16 years in Westwood due to COVID. In 2023, Jack's opened as a pop-up at B&M Market in Park Ridge. During this time, Owner Chris D’ Eletto helped his son open up three restaurants in Boston. Now, Jack’s Café is returning as Jack’s Café and Market in August at 669 Westwood Ave.
When asked why he wanted to come out of retirement, D'Eletto said there are “too many hours in a day to retire,” at only 62 years old.
“B&M [Market] was just a great place," he said. "We just got a little too busy for there. So we decided to open up our own place. We had two places that fell through, and then I found this, and I decided to do something a little different.”
D’Eletto said some changes include that the restaurant will only be serving breakfast and lunch, with some exceptions. He is planning twice a month fancy dinners, and also will have a large grab-and-go selection for people for dinner.
“I really want people to understand the grab-and-go section is going to be easy dinners to take home, and heat up right in the container, and serve,” he said. “There'll be a big variety of foods there.”
D’Eletto is also focused on accommodating people’s personal food preferences and allergies with new menu items.
“Breakfast will be almost the same [menu]," D’Eletto said. “We're going to add vegan options and a few more vegetarian [options] and plenty of gluten free [options]. There's a couple of new things that I've come up with that are just great, and I can't wait to serve it.”
D’Eletto said he loves his community and is willing to cook items not on the menu for his customers as well.
“If people come in, and they don't see something they used to love at Jack's, just ask me and I'll make it,” he said.
The owner wants his new place to be “hipster and music oriented,” and feature pop-art with local talent. D’Eletto is also looking to bring in local music artists for his occasional dinner nights.
D’Eletto co-owns the business with his wife, Risa D’Eletto, and proudly says that she is the greatest thing to ever happen to him.
"We decided 'Why not do what we love one more time,' " Risa D'Eletto said. "With seven kids between the two of us and soon to be five grandkids, let's keep the food flowing."
Chris D'Eletto shares the enthusiasm.
“I'm so happy in my life where I am now," he said. "I wouldn't change a thing."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Jack's Café, former Westwood fixture, returning to Bergen again. Here are the details
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