Newly opened business Pastrami & Pickles was chosen as October’s Business Of The Month by the Roselle Park governing body.
First Ward Councilwoman Jayme Lynn Negron – along with Mayor Carl Hokanson and Economic Development Director Beth Anne Macdonald – presented owner Ahsan Kazi with the proclamation.
The councilwoman shared with those in attendance Ahsan’s journey to become part of the borough. Having 12 years of experience working in hotels, country clubs, and restaurants Ahsan wanted to start his own business. He conducted some marketing research of the area and concluded there was an absence of New York-style Jewish delicatessens in the area. He looked for a place to set up shop and settled at 111 East Westfield Avenue, which is across the street from the Roselle Park Municipal Complex. In August, Pastrami & Pickles opened to the public.
Councilwoman Negron stated during the presentation, “He explains his concept as simple and described [Pastrami & Pickles] as an establishment specializing in small-batch Jewish cooking, offering a curated selection of smoked meats, cold cuts, braised meats, fresh homemade salads, and pickles.”
She continued, “Pastrami & Pickles is quickly becoming a landmark attracting customers from throughout the state and region, offering casual service dining, delivery, take-out, and catering.”
After receiving his award, Ahsan spoke to those in attendance.
“I would just say that I’m not chunky pastrami, my pastrami’s sliced,” he joked, then remarked, “The other thing I want to say is I thank everybody for the support [and] the love that you have shown me; police officers, mayor, councilmen, everybody. I hope to grow. This is a new business. You have been helping me a lot, and I definitely want to give back to the community as much as I can. Thank you.”
Pastrami & Pickles is open 8 a.m. till 9 p.m. seven days a week at 111 East Westfield Avenue. More information can be found at its website (link), Facebook page (link), or by calling (908) 445-7746