Moore’s Lounge, a beloved music lounge in Jersey City, has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to stay in business during these trying times. The establishment located at 189 Monticello Avenue has been in business for over 50 years and is hoping to continue to stay in business for years to come. Read on to learn more about the history of the bar and lounge and how you can help.
The GoFundMe page titled “Help Moore’s Lounge Stay in Business” was created on January 31st by Ruth Moore, the owner of Moore’s, and her daughter, Janice Moore, who has been helping out.
The fundraiser states: “We’ve been serving Jersey City since 1968 and after being in business for 51 years we are struggling to remain open. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted Moore’s Place and your support is needed.”
{Photo credit: Moore’s Lounge Facebook}
Why The GoFundMe Was Created
Musician and the music curator for Moore’s, Winard Harper, shares why raising money for the business is vital right now. “It’s a black-owned business, which is rare, and they’re trying to stay afloat. Of course, the pandemic has really put a big bite on things, but they were having problems just before that because they had decided to refurbish and they had some bad contractors. They were told the work was only going to take a month and then it ended up being closed for about a year, just dealing with contractors,” Harper told Hoboken Girl.
“We had opened up let’s say a couple of months before the pandemic, so we were opened up and things were seemingly doing well. They thought balls were going to get rolling and then the pandemic hit.”
Read More: A List of Black-Owned Businesses to Support in Hoboken + Jersey City
So far over $7,000 has been raised out of the $30,000 goal. Harper said the money raised “is going to be used to pay the bills and also finish up any of the finer details that the contractors left undone or half done.”
All About Moore’s Lounge
Moore’s Lounge was the name of the business prior to it being refurbished. Now, the name has changed to Moore’s Place.
“It’s been in the community for a long time and one thing about the place is that it’s always helped people in the community even to this day — people that are in need or hungry or they don’t have any money. They can stop by and they can get food,” Harper shared.
{Photo credit: Moore’s Lounge Facebook}
In the last decade, Moore’s has served as a music lounge each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Fridays were for “jam sessions” and Sundays were usually for “meet the artists,” and there were all types of artists — from jazz artists to vocalists and even spoken word artists. Moore’s is known for being an institution that has brought the most diverse individuals together to experience music in a community setting.
“I was bringing in great jazz artists from all over — Regina Carter, Louis Tabackin, Adelphia Marseilles, Billy Hart — you name it! It’s a long list,” Harper told Hoboken Girl. “The community would come out and they would have the chance to ask the artists about their wonderful careers and whatnot. I usually end my shows by talking about how jazz is one of the greatest examples of democracy that we have because not only does everybody get a say but everybody else helps them have their say.”
It is no doubt that Moore’s has been loved and appreciated by residents of Jersey City. Reviews online have been nothing but positive. One commenter wrote, “I feel like I’m at home, being around beautiful people with great jazz music and good food,” while another stated, “Thankful that Moore’s exists. They have done great work to renovate and improve the vibe and physical space. It is a great and safe place for musicians of ALL ages to shed their instruments. Winard Harper creates a great atmosphere along with great music. Thankful for Ms. Ruth and her impact on the community around Moore’s.”
{Photo credit: Moore’s Lounge Facebook}
What’s To Come
Moore’s has been closed for a few months now, last open this past summer. The City of Jersey City allowed Winard and the staff to have live music outside and so, each Saturday and sometimes on Sunday, the street would be blocked off for people in town to escape to the music scene.
Winard only hopes Moore’s can go back to how it was before the pandemic. “We’re hoping to get back to it now if we can,” he added.
To stay up-to-date with the latest news on Moore’s reopening, be sure to follow them on Facebook here. To donate to the GoFundMe page, click on this link.
