Many of our readers have been reaching out about the Lutze Biergarten, located at 3 2nd Street in Jersey City, which recently advised residents that it is temporarily closed. It’s no surprise to hear that many of its spectacular components are being missed — from the unmatched views of the New York City skyline to the awesome variety of beers and drinks. So, with the summer months approaching, why is the Lutze still closed, and is it expected to open soon? Read on to learn what Hoboken Girl has discovered about the Lutze’s future in Jersey City.
{Photo credit: @thelutze}
Timeline During COVID-19
On May 29, 2020, nearly two months after businesses were forced to shut down, Harborside JC posted a special announcement. “The Lutze will be reopening today for to-go drinks and food! Please continue to honor social distancing. We thank all of our health care workers and first responders as they continue to be on the front line of this all. All proceeds during the opening weekend will be donated to support the recovery and relief efforts of Jersey City small businesses,” the caption read.
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A few days later, the Lutze, owned by Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, shared a video with the Biergarten being back open and running. Lots of smiles, lots of excitement, and lots of fun. The caption read, “We are so happy to be back serving up your favorite cocktails safely on the waterfront! Come have a drink and enjoy the public seating on the Hudson!”
{Photo credit: @thelutze}
Everything seemed to have been going well for the next few months, up until the fall. On October 9, 2020, the Lutze posted: “Today is CLOSING DAY at The Lutze. Cheers to all of you for another amazing season, and we look forward to seeing you today – we open at 4PM! Come through and enjoy the final day with your crew – we’ll have lots of amazing specials!”
Since then, there hasn’t been any posts from the business’ social media pages and they still state, “Closed for the 2020 season,” despite it being five months into the new year. Also, the website, TheLutze.com, is now expired.
A Brief History
This isn’t the first time residents questioned its closure. In the spring of 2018, the 23,000-square-foot outdoor Biergarten was closed for a period of time. A Reddit thread titled, “Lutze BG in downtown permanently closed?” was posted in April 2018 and contained comments informing locals that it was “doing construction” and it would be reopening in the middle of May for the new season. Someone wrote they were building an “all-new bar/kitchen,” while someone else added “planned expansion of new food vendors, seating areas.” At that time, there were “no plans to transfer the ownership.”
{Photo credit: @thelutze}
May 4, 2017, marked the highly anticipated grand opening day as it became Jersey City’s first outdoor Biergarten along the Hudson River Waterfront. Mayor Fulop joined Mack-Cali at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the newest addition to the Jersey City waterfront — and it was sure a grand celebration featuring over 70 vendors, a variety of food trucks, drinks and games, children’s face painting, and a stunning fireworks display.
“We are thrilled to open the doors of the Lutze to Jersey City as the Hudson Waterfront continues to develop itself into a vibrant destination for the entire community to enjoy,” DeMarco said in a press release. “Just in time for the spring and summer season, the Lutze will provide guests with a one-of-a-kind experience featuring spectacular views of New York City’s iconic skyline.”
What We Know
Hoboken Girl has attempted to reach out to the Lutze via phone and email, but the email address is no longer valid. Messages sent via Facebook and Instagram have gone unread and unanswered, respectively.
{Photo credit: @thelutze}
However, what we have heard are some updates from reliable sources. One source shared, “The Lutze is in talks with a new operator,” while another source confirmed this saying, “The person that ran operations [at Lutze] is no longer with the company. There’s a new person taking over. I’ve also heard they might have switched the liquor licenses, but that is hearsay for now.” Regardless of there being a new operator, we’ve learned “more details will be shared soon!”
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The Lutze has normally operated during the warmer months, May until October. As of recently, the Lutze’s Yelp page informed residents that it is “scheduled to reopen on May 14, 2021,” but we confirmed with sources that this is not happening. As more details unfold, we’ll be sure to update this.
Other Local Biergartens
In the meantime, beer, wine, and spirit enthusiasts and non-drinkers looking to have a great time can enjoy the other local Biergartens, such as Zeppelin Hall {88 Liberty View Drive, Jersey City}, Hudson Hall {364 Marin Boulevard, Jersey City}, and Pilsener Haus & Biergarten {1422 Grand Street, Hoboken}.
{Photo credit: @hudsonhalljc}
Justin Janosko, the General Manager of Hudson Hall, tells Hoboken Girl how it has been surviving throughout the pandemic ever since it first opened outdoor dining when it was allowed in the spring of 2020.
“We were definitely one of the fortunate restaurants. We’ve been doing relatively well. The community definitely shows up and supports us and we’re fortunate for that,” Janosko says. “We did just build a new parklet like a month or two ago. It’s pretty nice and we expanded our outdoor dining from 30 seats to about 70 seats … just having the large open doors in the main hall, we’ve really felt that our customers have felt safe.”
