After teasing big news on Instagram, the reveal is here: Alfalfa is expanding to Jersey City. This beloved salad, coffee, and gluten-free doughnut shop, which started as a local farmers’ market stand, first opened a storefront in Hoboken in early 2019. Two years later, the team expanded across the country and opened on the West Coast in Santa Monica, California. Now, Alfalfa is aiming to open up in Jersey City sometime this winter. While the exact address is a surprise (Alfalfa sure knows how to keep us on our toes!), the team told Hoboken Girl that it will be located in the Powerhouse Arts District near St. Peter’s Prep — which is actually the co-founders’ alma mater. As big Alfalfa fans, we were thrilled to hear this news. Read on to learn more about Alfalfa’s expansion into Jersey City, expected to open up sometime this winter.
(Photo credits: @eatalfalfa)
The Move to Jersey City
The Alfalfa co-founders are hoping to open up in JC sometime this winter — though the team stressed that their priority is to be thoughtful and meticulous with the execution of this new storefront. While we know the new spot will be in the Powerhouse Arts District, the exact location is currently a surprise.
Jersey City was a natural next home for Alfalfa, given that its co-founders — and the general manager of the Santa Monica location — all went to St. Peter’s Prep.
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“We feel very passionately about Jersey City because it is a place we used to call home,” one of the Alfalfa co-founders, Andrew Arrospide, + the Alfalfa team told HG. “Going to high school in Jersey City, and growing up in neighboring Hoboken, we always spent a lot of time in the area and we’re thrilled to see how the community has grown over time.”
(Photo credits: @eatalfalfa)
Opening up in Jersey City means the chance to further Alfalfa’s mission of “inspiring healthier communities through balanced food and joyful experiences,” the team said, adding that the ultimate goal is to help customers achieve a sense of balance in their lives.
What to Expect
When the Jersey City storefront opens its doors, it will serve the same core menu that Hobokenites have come to know and love — but it will also have a local twist.
“Similar to how we source our fresh mozzarella from M&P Biancamano in Hoboken, we will seek hyperlocal partners in Jersey City for certain aspects of our offerings. As always, we’ll aim to keep things fresh with seasonal specials and fun collaborations with local tastemakers and influencers,” the Alfalfa team said.
(Photo credits: @eatalfalfa)
Speaking of tastemakers + influencers — we were also dying to know if Alfalfa would be resurrecting its popular Cobb Salad, courtesy of a partnership with @spinach4breakfast. The answer: it may be coming back in 2023!
For any North Jersey readers who are eagerly awaiting an Alfalfa in their neighborhood, Alfalfa is hoping to grow into new towns in the coming years. In the meantime, the team is hard at work to ensure the best experience for its customers — which means developing and building out their in-house technology.
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“In addition to regional new store expansion, we are working on exciting in-house technology solutions that will help us consistently serve the freshest and most delicious ingredients in all of our locations as we scale,” the Alfalfa co-founders told us. “Today, this takes the shape of our delightful new Alfalfa app, which helps our customers experience our food anywhere they are, access our food more affordably, and earn Alfalfa Awards through our loyalty program.” The co-founders also hinted at additional AI kitchen advancements that are currently in the works.
We’re going to be keeping an eye on the @eatalfalfa Instagram to eagerly await the new JC address.
For all the latest news, stay in the know with @thehobokengirl on Instagram and TikTok.
