LITTLE SILVER -- The former Sickles Market, the landmark specialty grocery on Harrison Avenue, will reopen with a new owner and a new name.
"We are pleased to announce a new and exciting chapter taking place for the beloved Sickles Farm at 1 Harrison Avenue in Little Silver, New Jersey. Formerly the location of Sickles Market," according a statement by 1663 Partners LLC.
Now called The Market at Sickles Farm, the garden center will open in May, with the full market and cafe expected to open in July, the investor group said Wednesday.
The opening comes after Sickles Market, a storied Monmouth County family business, closed in March 2024. Its owner, Bob Sickles Jr., filed for bankruptcy protection in May as did AHS Realty LLC, his business which holds the land of the Little Silver store and his Rumson home.
1663 Partners agreed to fund Sickles' reorganization plan, valued at between $8.5 million and $9 million, to pay his creditors and buy the business, land and intellectual property. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christine M. Gravalle approved the plan at a hearing in Trenton on Tuesday.
The sale of Sickles Market is expected to be completed in 45 to 60 days, said Basking Ridge attorney Daniel Stolz, Sickles' bankruptcy lawyer.
Sickles Market in Little Silver closed as part of a series of financial difficulties that hobbled the 100-year-old family business. It followed the sudden closure of Sickles Red Bank in February 2024.
The reorganization plan, which was approved by Sickles' creditors, includes the payment of employees' back wages in full and two weeks of severance. Those payments will come when the sale closes, Stolz said.
Sickles, his two daughters and a former employee are being hired to run the store.
In its statement, 1663 Partners said The Market at Sickles Farm will pay homage to "Sickles Farm and its historical past."
"What you have loved about Sickles over the past 100+ years will not be forgotten," the statement said. "As previous longtime customers, we are locals with a fresh perspective and a deep-rooted passion for the community and wellness."
The land on Harrison Road was first farmed by Bob Sickles' grandfather, Harold Sickles, more than 100 years ago. It was acquired from the family of Harold's mother, the Parkers, who bought the land in 1663 in a land grant from the king of England.
Bob Sickles' father, Robert Sickles Sr., who also farmed over 125 acres around Monmouth County, and his wife Adelaide sold their produce to the public from a seasonal farm stand. The farm market would later expand to include a garden center and become a year-round market.
"The Market at Sickles Farm will be the place on the two rivers peninsula to find the highest quality produce and your favorite prepared foods," 1663 Partners said. "Our new cafe? and greenhouse seating will be the perfect spot to slow down, relax and recharge, offering the highest-quality coffee, tea, juice and wellness-focused specialty beverages."
Opening in May, the garden center's selection will include annuals, perennials and hanging flowering plants. The full market is expected to open in July.
Meanwhile, The Market at Sickles Farm is hiring for "many positions," the new owners said. "We encourage interested applicants to apply as soon as possible."
David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business, retail, real estate, utility, and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for 27 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There column and can be reached at [email protected]. Please sign up for his weekly newsletter and join his What's Going There page on Facebook for updates.