Erin Lanahan 
When you walk around Jersey City, you may see an empty storefront and daydream about the perfect business to take over: another quirky coffee shop, a trendy wine bar, or maybe running a small boutique. One Jersey City couple decided to stop dreaming about their cozy cafe plans and start acting, by opening Tiny Topiary right in the Bergen Hill neighborhood. Open seven days a week, Tiny Topiary, located at 163 Monticello Avenue, focuses on serving slow food and creating a welcoming, inclusive environment. Read on to learn about the new cafe in Jersey City, the story behind Tiny Topiary, and what goes into creating a slow food menu.
About The Owners
Tiny Topiary was created by Jason Kratochvil and Lynne Burke, a couple with strong ties to the Tri-State area. Jason grew up in West Milford, New Jersey, and has lived in Jersey City for over 20 years. Lynne was born in Connecticut but raised in Houston, Texas. She moved to New York City after college, where she met Jason.
We’ve always known New Jersey has a way of drawing you in and forcing you to call it home, and that’s what Lynne learned after meeting Jason. She tells HG, “I let him know (full of sass and having never spent time here) that I would *NEVER* move to NJ. I was living in Jersey City just about three months later.”
Jason worked in TV for almost two decades, and Lynne was in the startup world working in tech operations. Both made the shift to real estate after their son started pre-school, and have now made the pivot to being small business owners.
About Tiny Topiary
Lynne and Jason have been a part of the Bergen Hill community in Jersey City for years and felt that parts of Monticello Avenue were being underutilized. Over the years, Lynne and Jason noticed many of the storefronts along this avenue were shuttered or empty. “Dark empty streets just don’t feel safe or charming or good,” Lynne told HG. “My husband and I decided to stop questioning why it was empty and instead decided to start being the change we want to see.”
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Building a strong community is an important pillar of the Tiny Topiary business, Lynne adds. The couple says they’ve seen the impact gentrification has had on the area, and they want to make sure their cafe has a seat for everyone at the table. “We believe the strength of a community lies in the appreciation of our differences. Appreciating the past while looking forward to the future,” says Lynne. “We just love our neighborhood.”
Tiny Topiary neighbors Cucumber Sushi at 161 Monticello Avenue and grocery store Papi + Mami’s Deli at 159 Monticello Avenue. There used to be a mini market located at 165 Monticello Avenue, but Google lists it as temporarily closed. Some of the businesses along that avenue include Cafe Monticello at 136 Monticello Avenue, Snapdragon Coffee at 190 Monticello Avenue, The Drip Paint + Sip Studio at 223 Monticello Avenue, and several others.
In a post on Instagram, the couple writes, “We poured everything we had into opening our bakery and café—15-hour days, countless sacrifices, and the kind of dedication that doesn’t show up on spreadsheets. Now that we’re open, 85-hour weeks somehow feel easier. And honestly? It’s all worth it. Because this place is more than a business to us. It’s a love letter to our neighborhood. A space built on hope, hard work, and the belief that community matters.”
The Tiny Topiary Menu
Like so many of us in the Hudson County area, Lynne and Jason are obsessed with healthy, good, clean food. They say the cafe’s menu is the opposite of fast food; it’s slow food.
One of the more popular items at Tiny Topiary is the sourdough bread. If it’s not already all over your social media page, know that making a sourdough starter and a loaf of sourdough bread is a very long but rewarding process. “There’s something very satisfying in making food that has been made for thousands of years and tastes just perfect with no notes; no changes; no improvements,” Lynne tells HG.
This meticulous process goes into all of their baked goods, such as the sandwiches, pastries, cookies, and brownies. Other items on the menu include salads for guests looking to get some extra greens and soups to keep people warm on a cold winter day. “We use simple and fresh ingredients, and if we’ve heard a common refrain from our customers, it’s how much they appreciate that we actually make the food,” says Lynne.
The couple often posts on Instagram what’s cooking each day, like roasted vegetables with feta and orzo, apple tart with sweet cream cheese and brown sugar crumble, and even a cozy chicken and dumplings.
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Tiny Topiary is open seven days a week from 10AM to 6PM. The cafe is located at 163 Monticello Avenue in Jersey City. More information about online ordering and catering can be found on their website.
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