‘Bergenfield: Back in Business!’ Borough Will Close Washington Avenue This Weekend to Promote Small Business Shopping

BERGENFIELD, N.J. — The Borough of Bergenfield will temporarily close Washington Avenue to vehicular traffic on Saturday, June 27, to encourage residents to dine out and enjoy their favorite local small businesses. The closures, which will be from 4:00 to 11:00 p.m., will transform the street into dining areas for restaurants and cafes to expand their outdoor seating areas in a safe and socially distant fashion. Saturday’s event will also kick off the Borough’s latest initiative, “Bergenfield: Back in Business,” in an effort to provide resources to small businesses and the hospitality industry as they begin to recover from the hardships caused by COVID-19.

“Over the past several days, we have seen many of our local businesses begin to reopen their doors after a difficult three months of being in the region’s epicenter of the global health crisis,” said Mayor Arvin Amatorio. “This signals we are heading in the right direction, but our small businesses and hospitality industry will need every resource available to give them a fighting chance on this road to recovery. Temporarily closing Washington Avenue is only the first step in our Bergenfield: Back in Business initiative and we will continue to support our local business owners in any way possible.”

Restaurants and small businesses interested in participating in Saturday’s event must register with the Borough’s Building Department by calling 201-387-4055 option 4. There is no permitting fee, however, the Building Department will be providing businesses with the proper guidance for a safe reopening and expansion.

“Bergenfield’s small businesses play an integral role in our community, and now more than ever they need our help to ensure their success for decades to come,” said Council President Rafael Marte. “The Bergenfield: Back in Business campaign is a testament of what we as a local government can do to help our business community during this new phase of reopening. I encourage anyone who has the means to do so to please come out on Saturday and practice good social distancing habits.”

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