Author Topic: Gino's Essex Street  (Read 28646 times)

Offline johnny g

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Gino's Essex Street
« on: August 09, 2009, 11:20:04 AM »
Does anyone remember Gino's? It was right by the railroad tracks across from Eastern Electronics. It became Roy Rogers and then later Mc Donalds.



Offline just watching

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2009, 08:02:41 PM »
yes, I remember.  And the McDonald's of course was torn down to build a smaller drive-thru McDonalds.

Wasn't there another Gino's, one on Hackensack Ave.  Or was that a combination Gino's and KFC.  I am talking about the building that is now a Boston Market.

Offline johnny g

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2009, 07:04:34 AM »
Good question...I'm not sure about the one on Hack Ave. When I started high school at Bergen Tech in 1981 it was already a Roy Rogers.

Offline just watching

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2009, 05:53:43 PM »
I'm talking about mid-1970's, that's when it was either a Gino's, KFC, or combination.  Yes, it was a Roy Rogers in 1981.  Maybe Roy Rogers bought out Gino's, all their locations.  Does anybody know.

Offline Homer Jones

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2009, 07:00:42 PM »
Many moons ago the "Gino's property" on Essex Street was owned by a "character" named Irving Reingold. Back in the 1950's he operated an autmobile dealership at the site which was ultimately discontinued leaving the land vacant for many years until it was sold or leased to the fast food operation originally known as Gino's. This is the franchise started by Gino Marchetti of the Baltimore Colts professional football team.

Mr. Reingold was also the entrepreneur who operated the New Bell discotheteque on Route 4 East past the Coach House Diner which brought great notoriety to the City of Hackensack with the introduction of male strippers. 

Offline johnny g

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2009, 07:59:15 PM »
wow good stuff, i never knew there was a car dealer on that spot. was Eastern Electronics a Foodtown then or was that later on? I never saw the place as a supermarket, just heard about it. any idea when the Foodtown closed?

Offline johnny g

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2009, 08:00:04 PM »
I think Roy Rogers DID buy all the Gino's franchises, yes.

Offline HHS72

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2009, 08:54:03 PM »
I believe Foodtown changed hands sometime in the late 70's to 80;s to Eastern Electronics. Eastern used to be located across the street on the corner of Essex and Newman. Now a food store.

Offline Homer Jones

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2009, 09:48:33 PM »
The supermarket was in operation in August, 1976 and closed right thereafter. I don't know however how long the building was vacant until Eastern took it over.

Offline just watching

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #9 on: August 19, 2009, 03:25:07 AM »
I think all these properties will be redeveloped by HUMC for more medical buildings, esp. Eastern Electronics.

I know a major North Jersey developer who wanted to buy Eastern Electronics and erect a luxury high-rise as big and tall as the city might allow, with direct access to the train station.  That was before the economy changed.

Offline johnny g

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #10 on: August 19, 2009, 08:33:12 AM »
check this link, good pic of something you might remember!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21909072@N05/2495224872/

Offline Top of the Hill

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2009, 05:07:56 PM »
I recall Gino's. I used to go there and get a "Gino Giant". Kind of like a Big Mac, but much better. The grocery store across the street used to be a "Finast" or "Finest" store. I remember passing by both of them while walking home from Hackensack Middle School in 1969-1972.

Offline Chief Oratam

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2009, 02:26:01 PM »
Gino's was great.....I agree about the Gino Giant....later on towards the end of Gino's atleast the end of the Essex St. location....Kentucky Fried Chicken went in with Gino's...

How about if you went the other direction on Essex St. crossed over rt 17 right past the National Gaurd Armory.....you had Wessins Hamburger, I still get cravings for them, I dont know if it's just a wan't thing or if they were that good......They later became Nathans Famous Hot Dogs.....

There were alot of good eaterie's in the area.........

Fat Mikes,...Otts Spot,..The Airport Diner, Helen's Hut..Pfiefers,Tracy's Nine Mile House,......The Lido,....Jennys,........The Bendix Diner,...Steljies...Stewarts Root Beer......just to name a few....and the ones that are still there....like pfiefers they are just not the same....IMHO.....>;-)

Offline Top of the Hill

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #13 on: November 09, 2009, 01:25:04 PM »
I remember Wessins. On another post I incorrectly identified it as Goodys, but I think that was on Rt 46 in Lodi or Garfield. I recall Fat Mikes when his place was a little shack on Rt 17. Was Helen's Hut on Rt 46 in Little Ferry on a little triangle of land? I recall the name "Steljies", but can't recall where or what it was.

Offline Chief Oratam

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Re: Gino's Essex Street
« Reply #14 on: November 09, 2009, 09:48:34 PM »
Top of the hill......that was Harrys Corner on the tri-angle a little off rt. 46 in So.Hackensack(maybe little ferry) right on the border line...... it stood about 6 feet off the ground....then they moved about 50 feet north in later years right on rt. 46...The Ice Man on the HBO Doc about him, spoke of harrys corner......He said he ate breakfast there every morning for years.....glad I didn't bump into him and pee him off without knowing him...

Helens Hut was on the corner of Lodi st and So. State st....great steak sandwichs...

Goodys was over by the Drive In theater in Saddle Brook....towards Pizza Town USA....great, leave it to us's @ Pizza Town...

All of the above are gone except Pizza Town USA....