Woodbury NJ’s closed Charlie Brown’s Fresh Grill restaurant will be reopening in the first quarter of 2022, according to the Woodbury Mayor’s December Newsletter!
The owners are committed to building upgrades before reopening, including; new exterior awnings, paint and signage, and interior upgrades including flooring and bathrooms!
The beloved steakhouse had closed in September 2020 (along with several other location), seemingly victims of the Covid pandemic impacting business sales.
The Woodbury property was soon put up for sale. It seems a company associated with Charlie Brown’s has purchased the property with the intent of refreshing the property (but still keeping all if it’s charm) and reopening.
The Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse building is located at 111 N Broad St, Woodbury NJ, 08096 not too far from the Gloucester County Courthouse and the Inspira Woodbury Medical Center (Underwood).
Delicious steaks at a fair price were what made Charlie Brown’s famous, but over the years they had upgraded their menu to include dozens of awesome and unique entrees… and I think just as many people remember them fondly for their unlimited salad bar as they do for their steaks!
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Breaking Down the News!
We’ve been hearing the rumors of a pending sale for several months.
We saw that the online Loopnet listing had change to “under contract”.
And we started hearing from loyal followers that Charlie Brown’s was coming back.
But I didn’t want to post until I had something from someone in the know, which confirmed the story.
And that confirmation comes from Woodbury NJ Mayor Sickel, who in her December online newsletter broke the news!
Obviously Mayor Sickel and the rest of the city officials are incredibly excited about this news, as it will help reignite the spark for downtown Woodbury, but selfishly I am thankful they haven’t posted it elsewhere (Facebook or the front of the City website) as I get to widely share the news! 🙂
The newsletter page focused on the Charlie Brown’s news starts with reminding folks that Charlie Brown’s has been around for over 50 years as a chain, but our research shows they opened in Woodbury in 1981… exactly 40 years ago!
I shared with readers in my prior post that I was fortunate to be inside the restaurant in early 1981 when they were gutting the remnants of the old Bullshead Inn!
Charlie Brown’s was once a thriving and growing restaurant chain. I even remember when the building that now houses the Lampost Diner in Blackwood was a Charlie Brown’s!
Coming out of the initial Covid pandemic restrictions, only Scotch Plains NJ remained open.
The loss of such a landmark restaurant in the struggling-but-coming-back commercial center of the County seat, was a major source of sadness even beyond the boundaries of Woodbury.
The empty building on Broad Street was a somber reminder to our residents of the loss of one of our beloved
Woodbury Mayor Sickel, in her December 2021 Newsletter
restaurant locations. Woodbury residents would reach out to the owners on their website to tell their own
stories of special events that took place in those walls.
In the newsletter, they state that Woodbury is the first location they are working towards reopening!
“Woodbury has always been good to us and it is a tight-knit community,” explained Director of Business
Woodbury Mayor Sickel, in her December 2021 Newsletter
Development, Max Drattell, who had been working closely with the Mayor, City Council and city
administration to make this a reality.
The news from the City of Woodbury closes by saying that renovation plans are being worked out for the exterior and interior!
My wife and I ate at Charlie Brown’s not too long before they had closed… we were always big fans of the restaurant and she is in the “I love their salad bar” camp, so we always enjoyed our meals… but it was clear the old girl was in need of some upgrades across around the multiple rooms.
It will be awesome to see her freshened up!
Follow 42Freeway for the latest on the Charlie Brown’s Restaurant opening in 2022!
The Historic Building
A 1984 Courier-Post article on historic dining options, lists Charlie Brown’s Woodbury’s building as one South Jersey historic places to dine!
The original building was built in 1737 as the Wilkins Inn, and has also been known as Paul’s Hotel, Bull’s Head Inn, Jesse Smith’s Tavern, and the Railroad House. It was said that the building was built with bricks left over from the neighboring Woodbury Friends meeting House (1737).
The building is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places!
The same Courier article from 1984 mentions according to the Gloucester County Historical Society, the restaurant and (then) hotel was a very popular location for people visiting Westville’s Washington Park amusement park in the late 1800s and early 1900s. John Philip Sousa lead his band at the historic inn!
In the 70s the restaurant was called The Bull’s Head Inn and in 1978 met it’s end after becoming financially insolvenet.
I found a lot of interesting mention’s of the property in the late 1800s when it was known as Paul’s Hotel!
Through the 1880s it seemed to be a very popular place for horse auctions, as I found several listed!
Site is the Charlie Brown’s Property (Public Domain)
And 1888 an article states that the Leap Year party held at Paul’s Hotel was “the social event of the season, the youth and beauty of that beautiful little city being in attendance”
For almost 300 years the building at 111 N Broad has been a key meeting place and tavern for the community of Woodbury, and guess what… it’s needed just as much today!
I really can’t wait to get back to Charlie Brown’s!
Links and Location
Charlie Brown’s Woodbury – Reopening 2022
111 N Broad St
Woodbury NJ
Corporate Website