Alfalfa, a born-in-Hoboken salad spot, well-known for its salads, wraps, breakfast burritos, and homemade gluten-free doughnuts, announced Monday the opening of its fifth store. The restaurant has charmed salad lovers on the East and West Coasts since its first restaurant opened in 2019 at 1110 Washington Street in Hoboken. Alfalfa will open its fifth location in the former Sobseys Produce grocery store at 92 Bloomfield Street in Hoboken — back where it all began. Read on to learn more about Alfalfa’s fifth location opening in downtown Hoboken.
The Announcement
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The company announced via Instagram on Monday, February 12th that it will open its fifth location in downtown Hoboken. The post read, “We are SO thrilled to officially announce our fifth location opening right in the heart of where Alfalfa’s story began in Downtown Hoboken, a space that was originally the Sobseys’ organic grocery store. Opening in late spring/early summer. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements on the location!”
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Back to Its Roots
The location at 92 Bloomfield Avenue, the former location of Sobsey’s Produce, is something of a full-circle moment for the brand, which started as a pop-up vendor at the Hoboken Farmer’s Market in 2018 and is now a bi-coastal entity. Co-founder Dan Sobsey’s family ran the market for decades until its sale in 2017.
Dan, along with other co-founders Andrew Arrospide, Dan Sobsey, Dan Londono, Ben Sobsey, and Luke Leonard all grew up in Hoboken and went to high school together at St. Peter’s in Jersey City.
“We’re Hoboken locals who started the Alfalfa concept at the uptown Farmer’s Market, with a vision from the beginning to have our own space where we could focus on quality ingredients and a warm atmosphere,” the Alfalfa team told The Hoboken Girl. “Everything we do — from serving a locally roasted fair trade coffee and selecting the highest quality produce for our salads to experimenting with Southern California-inspired breakfast burritos and creative doughnuts — is done with the goal of providing our guests with a premium experience. We’ve curated the best food and beverages from our own tastes, and through our experiences, Alfalfa has grown to be truly unique,” the Alfalfa team added.
After kicking things off at Hoboken Farmers Markets in 2018, the Alfalfa team brought its vision to life in 2019 with the opening of the first brick-and-mortar location at 1110 Washington Street. The restaurant quickly became a local favorite. Its very first location in Hoboken took over the former Schnackenberg’s Luncheonette space, at 1100 Washington Street. Alfalfa paid homage to its Schackie’s roots, using its doughnut recipe to sell doughnuts. It was later converted to a gluten-free recipe, which has been a hit ever since.
After the success of the 1110 Washington Street location, Alfalfa expanded operations to include a spot at 160 1st Street in Jersey City, which opened in spring 2023, and two West Coast locations, 2309 Main Street, Santa Monica, which opened in 2021, and 5570 Melrose Avenue in Larchmont which opened in fall 2023.
In July 2023, the Santa Monica location played host to Vice President Kamala Harris, Small Business Administration chief Isabella Casillas Guzman, and Representative Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) to talk about programs for small businesses. The team shared: “We discussed our founding story from our Farmer’s Market tent, journey navigating COVID and building a now 100+ person mission-driven company poised for significant further growth. The conversation covered government loans/grants received early in our journey, and the backing of our first investors in our Seed Round last year. We were commended for our rapid and sustainable growth, employment practices, and impactful contributions to our communities, including access to healthy eating and promoting mental health.”
Alfalfa’s journey from a vendor at a farmers’ market to a multi-location eatery is a testament to its founders’ unwavering vision and passion for quality ingredients. Now, the team is preparing to open its fifth location in downtown Hoboken — in the very place where their vision came to life — at the former Sobsey’s produce. The team expects to open sometime after May, as they shared exclusively with The Hoboken Girl.
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Stay tuned on Alfalfa’s Instagram for more information regarding its opening date and future announcements of what to expect at its newest location at 92 Bloomfield Street.
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