By Barbara A. Preston | Posted Jan. 2, 2025
Two new tenants recently signed leases to open restaurants in Montgomery Promenade, the 292,700-square-foot center on Route 206 in Skillman, just north of Princeton.
Shake Shack, (SHAK on the New York Stock Exchange), and Wonder could open as early as September, according to a new online brochure.
Most people know Shake Shack — which has a nearby burger restaurant on Route 1 in Lawrence Township known for its Angus beef burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches, flat-top dogs, and hand-spun milkshakes.
The Wonder restaurant, however, is difficult to describe. Their marketing gurus refer to it as "A New Kind of Food Hall," and as the "Amazon of food and beverage."
Cover of the latest Montgomery Promenade brochure, announcing two newly signed tenants — Shake Shack and Wonder.
Wonder is similar to a shopping mall food court, in which customer's can select from a variety of the brands and types of food. Except, Wonder has a more upscale menu that includes dishes crafted and cooked by Wonder chefs, but using the recipes of its partners.
The Montgomery Promenade location could offer entrees and deserts from its 20-plus partners nationwide, including Bobby Flay Steak, Di Fara Pizza (the Brooklyn pizzeria that tops many "best pizza" lists), Maydān Middle Eastern restaurant, or Walnut Lane Rustic California cuisine by Jonathan Waxman — to name a few.
A takeout meal from Wonder — a new kind of food hall — coming soon to Montgomery Promenade.
Wonder has an app, and offers delivery, pickup, and is expected to offer indoor dining at its Montgomery Promenade. New Jersey-based billionaire entrepreneur Marc Lore founded the Wonder Restaurant Group in 2018. It's headquartered in New York City. The nearest locations include Westfield, Green Brook, and Livingston.
Wonder’s research-and-development kitchen is based in Parsippany. According to a New York Times article, Wonder "prepares and in many cases, par-cooks, all of its menu items in large commissary facilities, then distributes the dishes individually portioned to its restaurants, where employees can finish the preparation in a matter of minutes, with little cooking skill required. This allows the restaurants to be staffed by what Mr. Lore calls ‘lightly trained labor.’”
Wonder is targeting an initial public offering in three to five years, aiming for a valuation of $30 billion, according to The New York Times.
The Shake Shack on Route 1 in Lawrence Township.
Since the original Shack opened in 2004 in NYC’s Madison Square Park, the company has expanded to more than 520 locations worldwide, including 335 in 33 U.S. States and the District of Columbia, and 185 international locations across London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Mexico City, Istanbul, Dubai, Tokyo, and Seoul.
One of the newest locations will be in Montgomery Promenade. The restaurants are known for Angus beef burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches, flat-top dogs, hand-spun milkshakes, house-made lemonades, beer, and wine. It serves its own signature Shackmeister pale ale, developed by Brooklyn Brewery specifically for Shake Shack.
Recent menu items include an Oreo Funnel Cake Shake and a White Truffle Burger. Seasonal specials include a summer BBQ menu with Carolina-style sauce, which has more of a sweet, tangy, vinegar base, or a tradition tomato-based sauce.
The closest “Shacks” to The Montgomery News readership include: Lawrence Township, Bridgewater, and North Brunswick. First quarter 2024 financial results for Shake Shack Inc were strong, with a total revenue of $290.5 million, up 14.7 % versus 2023, according to Business Wire.
The tenants specified in the latest version of the Montgomery Promenade leasing brochure.
The shopping center is expected to open by third or fourth quarter of 2025. Other restaurants planned include:
The Robinson Ale House has locations in Asbury Park, Long Branch, and Red Bank. It is also part of the McLoone Restaurant Group — named for owner Tim McLoone who is described on mcloones.com as being “schooled at Harvard and accomplished in music, athletics, and business” who has performed with Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. The Ale house is “a place for a quick lunch or a night out in celebration with a vast beer and wine selection.” The menu includes dishes such as vegetable risotto, meatloaf, NY Strip Au Poivre, fish and chips, blackened mahi mahi, crab cakes, flatbread, Buffalo shrimp, sandwiches, and more.
The Turning Point Restaurant will serve breakfast, brunch, and lunch at its location in Montgomery Promenade. The franchise also has locations in Delaware, Florida, Pennsylvania, and almost 20 in New Jersey. The menu includes a variety of dishes, such as Lobsta-Cado Toast (Multigrain bread topped with smashed Haas avocados, lobster chunks, and served with eggs) for $23; Lobster Benedict, $25; Berry-Licious Waffles $13 (a Belgian waffle with sliced strawberries, blueberries); and Spicy Ranch Chicken Quesadilla, $14.
Panera Bread, an American chain of bakery-café fast casual restaurants with over 2,000 locations, all of which are in the United States and Canada, is headquartered in Sunset Hills, Missouri.
Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, is a fast casual restaurant chain in the United States. The restaurant chain was founded in Wilmington, Delaware in 1976. Capriotti's has about 110 company-owned and franchise locations in 27 states
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SJC Ventures, a privately held, mixed-use commercial real estate and retail development firm based in Atlanta, which owns the Montgomery Promenade, previously announced restaurants will also open in the shopping center, though they are not listed in the latest brochure.
The Iron Whale. The menu, by Executive Chef Charles Collins, features seafood (hence the term Whale). It also includes a wide selection of meat presentations, or “Iron.” It will include a “Taco Bar” and cocktails. There is one located on the Boardwalk in Asbury Park, and it is part of the McLoone Restaurant Group.
More Than Q is a Texas-style BBQ with locations in Princeton, Lambertville, and Easton, PA. It is expected to open in Montgomery Promenade in late summer, early fall. The menu includes smoked meats and southern side dishes, including baked beans, collard greens, cheesy grits, brisket, sausage, and ribs.
Whole Foods Market, the anchor store of The Montgomery Promenade, will offer lunch and dinner to-go or to eat inside the market. The menu includes hot pizza, salads, sandwiches, and other freshly prepared, made-to-order meals.
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After more than 15 years in the making, construction is under way on the Montgomery Promenade, a 161,774 square foot mixed use development on 54 acres of land in Skillman, NJ. Montgomery Promenade is located immediately north of Princeton Airport on Route 206. The new development will be anchored by Whole Foods and includes 34 single family homes on the northern portion of the property.
Anchored by Whole Foods, lifestyle retail and full-service restaurants, the retail shops will focus on healthy living, personal care and upscale specialty shopping. The tenant lineup
currently includes Ulta Beauty, Shake Shack, Wonder, The Robinson Ale House, Turning Point, European Wax Center and Spavia among others.
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Montgomery Promenade also will feature an outdoor community space that will host public events. This will be a focal point of the Promenade. #
