As the rest of the world is returning to some sense of normalcy due to the expansion of the COVID-19 vaccine, more and more individuals have so much to look forward to. After the disaster of a year that 2020 was, there is much hope and optimism regarding this year. One way that the community is celebrating the end of a disastrous era is through the grand opening of new stores that will be coming very soon. Some new stores that the public can look forward to are Trader Joe’s, Pizzeria Halt, Brio Italian Grille, and more.

Beginning on July 30th, Trader Joe’s will be opening their new storefront located at Haddonfield Road and Garden Park Boulevard. As the first outlet in all of Cherry Hill, it is approximately 18,000 square feet and is located adjacent to a Shake Shack that recently opened in September of last year.

Due to COVID-19 policies, the store will continue to have store hours designated just for senior citizens or disabled individuals. Although the store hours run from 8 AM to 9 PM, the first hour will be reserved for senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. As one of the numerous stores that are being added to Garden Park Boulevard, the entire community is beyond excited for the grand opening of the store and the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the morning of July 30th.

Additionally, a new Pizzeria Halt is expected to open at the Ellisburg Circle shopping center by the end of this month. It is located at the intersection of Route 70 and Kings Highway in Cherry Hill, NJ. As a vegan pizza shop, the hubbub around the menu and overall environment of the store has been highly praised and appreciated by the public. Since the vegan lifestyle has become more popular over the years, restaurants are gradually beginning to model their menus after commended stores like Pizzeria Halt. Manager, Todd Eady, has finally fulfilled his dream of opening a restaurant and hopes to continue expanding the future and business of Pizzeria Halt.

With the unexpected pandemic that struck last year, the majority of restaurants forcibly closed for prolonged periods of time. Some could afford to stay in business, while others could not. After the pandemic of last year, the former owner of Brio Italian Grille, FoodFirst Global Restaurants, filed for bankruptcy and sold their assets due to financial struggles.

However, they are planning to reopen a Brio Italian Grille storefront inside of the Freehold Raceway Mall at 3710 Route 9 South. Many positions are being filled currently, such as the head chef, front of house, bartender, and more. Placed adjacent to Qdoba and the Cheesecake Factory, there is much to look forward to for future visitors inside of the Freehold Raceway Mall.