Since 1997, Cafe Eclectic has made itself part of the fabric of Montclair, but after almost 15 years in business, the funky cafe — meeting place — art gallery — puppet exhibit — au pair hangout will close at the end of this year.
“The landlord wants us out,” says owner Julio Valentin. The current owner of the building, Dominic Restaino, also owns Cuban Pete’s and other space along Bloomfield Ave.; Restaino bought the building from Valentin’s previous landlord. Valentin did not want to talk about Restaino, but suggested that he had other plans for the space.
Valentin, who opened the cafe after working as a police officer in Newark, is sad to see the business close. “I thought we’d be here forever.”
We did, too. The place has a unique vibe, not only because it evokes the mood of cafe on Greenwich Village’s MacDougal Street, but because like Montclair, it attracted an “eclectic” clientele of artists, musicians, authors, teenagers, au pairs and foreign exchange students. Valentin (pictured right) says as a result of au pairs recommending the cafe as a place to meet so many times over the years, he never eats at restaurants when he travels to Europe. “I end up having dinner in the homes of all the au pairs who for a year or so called Cafe Eclectic and Montclair home.”
Many relationships came out of the cafe. Former employees married, Valentin’s own nephew (pictured left) grew up in the business and now works there, as does Lauren (center), the sister of a former waitress who met Valentin when she was nine years old and years later came back for a job herself. Customers and employees have gone on several cruises as a group, organized by Valentin. “They would give me free tickets because we would book 30 or so people, so instead I had them give everyone a discounted trip,” says Valentin, who proudly shows the watch he wears given by former employees along with a plaque that commemorate one of the cruises.
Probably the best thing of all to happen to Valentin was meeting his wife, a customer at the cafe, some six years ago, which led to the birth of his daughter Mila. When Cafe Eclectic closes, Valentin plans to take some time off to spend with his family. He’s also involved with business partner Joseph Stevens in Greenleaf, one of the winning centers approved to grow and sell medical marijuana.
Artists of all ages, authors (our own Deb Galant had her book signing at the cafe and is a long-time fan), musicians and an improv group are just some of the people who, along with Valentin and staff, made the cafe a special place to be. The comfort menu of coffee drinks, sandwiches and yummy desserts — especially the brownie melt — and wifi also made Cafe Eclectic the perfect meeting spot.
Valentin remembers how different Bloomfield Ave. was when he first opened. “People really didn’t venture east of North Fullerton Ave. There was more crime and it was rough at first.”
Montclair keeps changing. When Cafe Eclectic closes, it will go into the list of places people in Montclair remember, talk about and miss.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! They have the best cakes and pies!
Why does the owner want them out?
OH NO! I love their food and the oreo shakes are the best 🙂 that is so sad. I wish they would open up somewhere else 🙁
It’s a sad day in Montclair.
The owner wants them out = the owner wants more money?
A great tribute, Liz. I had forgotten that story I wrote for the Times, too. Somebody go buy me a Cafe Eclectic t-shirt before they run out — women’s L.
SAY IT AINT SO
This town will get a whole lot less cool when Cafe’ Eclectic closes, tragic really.
The monopolizing land owners and corrupt (siena) builders are destroying a good thing in this town!
What can the PEOPLE who make up this town do?
Wish we would all organize and do something to make a change for the better in town.
For god sake wally wacky whatever your name here is can we get something functional in that wreck of a space across from movie theatre on bloomfield ave, ya know with the huge blank Marquee between park and fullerton, bad night clubs and strip clubs aside. That huge venue has been useless!!!!
Oh montclair gods please save cafe eclectic and our town from being ruined by HORRID LANDLORDS and Store Front commercial real estate owners before they ruin a good thing.
Thank you goodnight!
That is/was my home away from home. My best friend is a regular haunting the couches as he taps on his laptop. Julio walking by to say “how you doin'” to me (which always makes my knees go weak). Plus the best sandwich in all baristaville- the turkey with brie and apples.
It has been a long time but I never thought they’d close. GOod luck Julio with whatever you do next.
it attracted an “eclectic” clientele of artists, musicians, authors, teenagers, au pairs and foreign exchange students.
And marsupials, Liz. You forgot marsupials.
I’m not one to get all sentimental about the comings and goings of such places. But this one really hits me in the breadbasket. I love this place. Thank goodness we have until the end of the year.
Idiotic landlord! Here’s a committed, vibrant business that adds character and charm to our town and he wants to shut it down? Dumb.
And I’ll never understand why certain landlords keep properties vacant for so long. There must be interest in some of these properties, even in a down economy. Do they get tax breaks?
Another empty storefront on Bloomfield Ave, just what we needed. Because when visitors enter the nonexistent gateways they need to find nonexistent shopping.
I don’t know the background, relax, maybe the numbers aren’t there, etc, but my reaction was the same as yours:
eeeeeeeeeee-dyot!
Back before mrs. prof and I moved to our Palatial Estate in UPPER Montclair, we had a Swank, Urban Condo in DOWNTOWN (you know- The “transitional” section) Montclair, around the corner from Cafe Eclectic.
We used to go all the time. Those lazy Summer Days…
Sadly, once we moved UPtown, we left behind many of our Bloomfield have joints (yes, replacing them with the appropriate UPPER Montclair style eatery and hotspots- like the Dunkin Donuts on Valley!!….hahaha…).
Still, there is NOTHING worse for a community to lose places like this. I hope they can either work it out, or find a new place.
Is either an option?
(… Bloomfield AVE joints…)
“there is NOTHING worse for a community to lose places like this.”
Really? I can think of a hundred.
Personally I never cared for the place. I found the coffee bitter (ie burned). The whole sofa think looked sort of ratty to me. And (i know this is a pet peeve) they served coffee in those clear glass (sort of frilly) mugs. Though not to my liking, I had nothing against the place and wish them well and hope they can find another location.
I also don’t think it’s fair to trash the landlord when we don’t know anything about their business relationship. He/She is just trying to run a business too. And let’s not forget it’s actually the landlord who pays the taxes to our fair town not the tenant.
I heard Prada is moving in.
Nooooooo! I had French meetups there. So sad.
You are right in every detail, Right of Quixote. I would even add that the service can be pretty bad. But Eclectic has other qualities. It is a good place to go if you want to sit comfortably, somewhere other than your home or the library, out among the humans, without being rushed. The staff more than make up for their lack of efficiency by being friendly, accommodating, welcoming. It has lots of electrical outlets. It’s a great place for teenagers to hang out in, especially after a night at the Wellmont. After all these years, having logged what must be hundreds of hours, I have just come to love the place. What can I say, it ain’t rational.
From what I’ve observed casually about downtown storefronts, I wouldn’t be surprised if the landlord is overreaching. But I don’t know. It was certainly the landlord’s decision to make.
Maybe the landlord is anticipating the tax bill he’ll receive after the Park St. projected is completed and all those downtown properties increase in value.
Do the taxes that landlords pay to our fair town not come from the rent that tenants pay?
And another reason I stuck in Montclair after MSU bites the dust… In fact, the second that is directly Dominic Restaino’s doing (the other being Let it Rock… now better known as Cuban Pete’s expanded kitchen).
One more reason I’ll never eat at Cuban Pete’s and one less thing keeping me in this area.
Yes yes Jenn, of course.
And the price we pay for the coffee is REALLY where it all comes from.
But, my point is, let’s not trash the one person in this situation who actually writes the check to the town, ok? (narrow enough for you?)
Especially when we don’t know anything whatsoever about the business…
When Cafe Eclectic closes, it will go onto the list of reasons why I don’t like Dominic.
Check out Trend Café across the street!
Check out Trend Café across the street!
I am beyoooond pissed. I used to come to the cafe when I was in college years ago… I just moved here (after awhile of wanting to) and this cafe is one of the best and most unique businesses in this town… even all of north jersey! I’m sick of big business owners who don’t appreciate the arts or supporters of the arts, or the fact that just cuz they wouldn’t run their business the way the cafe does, that it doesn’t deserve to survive. I’m sick of big business owners who are only concerned with money or how they want the town to look. It’s not all about them dammit! Can we start a protest??
I am beyoooond pissed. I used to come to the cafe when I was in college years ago… I just moved here (after awhile of wanting to) and this cafe is one of the best and most unique businesses in this town… even all of north jersey! I’m sick of big business owners who don’t appreciate the arts or supporters of the arts, or the fact that just cuz they wouldn’t run their business the way the cafe does, that it doesn’t deserve to survive. I’m sick of big business owners who are only concerned with money or how they want the town to look. It’s not all about them dammit! Can we start a protest??
PS- Trend Cafe is too f’n expensive.
PPS- I must repost this comment by rjpit…
“The monopolizing land owners and corrupt (siena) builders are destroying a good thing in this town!….
Oh montclair gods please save cafe eclectic and our town from being ruined by HORRID LANDLORDS and Store Front commercial real estate owners before they ruin a good thing.”
Um, so moving to a different location is not possible?
“He’s also involved with business partner Joseph Stevens in Greenleaf, one of the winning centers approved to grow and sell medical marijuana.”
Could this be one of the real reasons why he’s not searching for another space?
Well, I do know one thing. The landlord was a fool to give up a cash cow, a sure thing that was in place since 1997. With this distressed economy, it’s a crap shoot whether he’ll 1. get as good a tenant as Eclectic or 2. get anyone at all. I really fail to see how another vacant storefront will benefit the township. I wish the Eclectic peeps luck.
There are not a lot of towns like Montclair in North Jersey. I mean, Montclair isn’t as nice as it used to be… but we gotta hold onto what we can… original artistic cafe’s are becoming extinct… most independent businesses for that matter. It may be a sign of the times but it doesn’t mean we have to be ok with it, or abandon the town ourselves.
With all the open store space in Baristaville, there’s got to be another good place for them. Like say the Upper MTC library. Perhaps they could use a paying customer.
Greenleaf + Eclectic = Montsterdam
“With all the open store space in Baristaville, there’s got to be another good place for them.”
This is a bit of economics that I apparently missed in my classes in school. I too see the empty store-fronts and “for rent” signs. So why would a landlord deliberately push out a rent-paying tenant? This isn’t the first time it’s occurred here either.
I can see not wanting a long term lease if one expects conditions to change w/in the term. But *no* lease? No income?
Does a commercial property owner get to appeal his/her tax assessment if the property stays unoccupied for a period of time? Are we as a town paying for commercial spaces to remain unused?
There must be *some* benefit to the landlord that I’m not seeing.
…Andrew
When Cafe Eclectic closes, it will go onto the list of reasons why I don’t like Dominic.
agreed
Cuban Petes is service and food is horrible and so is Dominic.
What about the place next to cuban pete’s that’s been empty for over a year?? The “computer geek” store? I think they’ve been using it for storage for the restaurant… another waste of space!!
I am sick of all the people blaming Dominic for everything. Excuse him for being successful, perhaps there is a reason he is not extending the lease, perhaps Mr. Valentin brought this upon himself. All these people complaining about the closing, how many are actually there more than once in a rare while.
Every time I pass the place it is empty. I for one hope a better restaurant goes in there. Perhaps the next place will have edible food and decent coffee. All you haters please just go away.
I ate at cuban pete’s once—terrible. Gave it another try—terrible. My friends and i while there the second time became friendly with the waiter. His exact words during a conversation “Dominic is the worst person to work for, but i need the job”. To recap. Bad food + Bad employer + eclectic leaving = terrible businessman.
@ jll180 … You’re not getting it, just like Dominick, just like others who only give a shit about making large sums of money (ie- walmart?!). This isn’t just about making money, though Cafe Eclectic does seem to make enough of it. I live close to this place and always see people in it… besides, if they can pay their rent then who cares? A lot of people come to Montclair BECAUSE of places like Cafe Eclectic. It’s what makes this town different then all the other cookie-cutter, replicas of chain stores and massive retailers. It’s a place that embraces art and community, which is very rare these days.
I liked Dominick at first… he seemed like a nice guy and I liked Cuban Pete’s a lot. But finding out that he doesn’t respect the culture and individuality of this place, and is just trying to carbon copy another city, is sickening to me. He doesn’t respect what other people like about Montclair, or that Cafe Eclectic is a hub for artists and college students. He clearly is solely interested in making a shitload of money, no matter how many locals he steps on. No town wants a businessman or businesses like his, no matter how much they make. His money isn’t going back into Montclair, it’s just lining his pockets. Don’t be fooled.
PS- I LOVE Cafe Eclectic’s drinks! Don’t forget that they’re actually really good, and no other place is like this in this area!!
Sooner or later, it becomes evident – even to its most egregious practitioners – that avarice is its own punishment. I think one needs but to look around at the vacant commercial space on Bloomfield Avenue to realize that no one is busting down the doors to rent a place. Undoubtedly, that space which now houses the venerable Cafe Eclectic will remain empty for a long, long time. But then, perhaps, its owner needs a tax write-off. Sad.
“Every time I pass by the place is empty.”
So you’ve been passing by the place since 1997 and all other accounts get discounted based on your perception?
Guffaw!
Much luck to the Cafe Eclectic family and thank you for being more than another enterprise over the years.
I’ve had Tapas long time ago in DC. Every dish tasted different. Every dish at Cuban Pete’s tastes the same. Went once never went back…yuch and further yuch for kicking out Eeclectic… Shame on you Domminick!!
You sound like a Biblical prophet, Bill, and kind of look like one, too, from your pic.
If Dominic wants him out, he probably already has plans for the space. I highly doubt it will be empty.
And Valentin doesn’t seem half as upset as some of these posts. Perhaps he already has plans too.
This is really a sad day in Montclair history. I do hope the landlords of the half empty buildings on Bloomfield avenue realize that they are pushing people out who made Montclair what it is.
My son used to hang out there, a budding musician. He loves it.
The bland brandification of that part of town will continue, but judging by some of the empty buildings and businesses lasting only 3 months, it seems to me that the consolidation of landlords is not a good thing.
I wish to thank Julio Valentin for what he did for Montclair and wish him well in his future endeavours.
What’s missing here is an organized “Economic Development” effort for Montclair. Only four years ago Montclair had an Economic Development group, comprised mainly of a volunteer board, but also a paid, professional director. The “majority” of the Council decided to disband it. It’s a matter of priorities: they did support a paid, professional, on staff environmental coordinator.
Who knows the entire story why one business succeeds, another fails. Economics is key and at some point expenses, including rent, can push out a business. Other businesses are poorly thought out and the demand isn’t there, or the location turns out to be horrendous.
Other businesses hit a home run, tapping into an unsatisfied demand.
I thought Eclectic terrific. And when I went there they were always packed.
I’ve made some calls to landlords asking for their help. Just as I did when other businesses were in trouble.
I do hope something can be done for Eclectic, and an arrangement can be put together.
Cary
Perhaps some of the folks here who think this was a great place and viable business will look upon this as an opportunity to open their own cafe in one of the vacant storefronts along the avenue.
“Economics is key and at some point expenses, including rent, can push out a business.”
This is true, but it doesn’t appear relevant. This isn’t a matter of a business failing, but of a business being kicked out. Those are two very different situations.
Admittedly, we’ve but one side of the story. But if the cafe was bringing in enough money to pay its bills – including rent – then it was a successful operation. That’s not a trivial thing, and Valentin deserves credit for that.
I still wonder why a landlord would explicitly want a business out given all the empty store-fronts in town. Does this afford the owner a tax-break? Might that be more profitable than the rental income?
Or does the owner have a new tenant already lined up that’s going to pay more? That would be a little surprising given the empty store-fronts, but at least it would be understandable.
I just hope that this isn’t going to be yet another empty shop in town for years and years.
…Andrew
We certainly don’t have both sides. We don’t even really have one side. More like a horsesh*t line (“landlord wants us to move”) that could mean just about anything.
This really sucks. My wife went by there today and texted me that it was closed. It was one of our favorite places in town.
I’m glad I never ate at Cuban Pete’s, and I have no plans on ever doing so.
Too many greedy landlords in Montclair chasing out all the cool businesses.
My theory, for what it’s worth, davidravenmoon, is that Valentin got tired of the place and wanted to move on. I wouldn’t be so quick to blame the landlord. Too easy.
@roo there’s no theory needed- we’ve got the story from Restaino’s own lips
Restaino, who bought the building in July 2010, called Baristanet to tell his side of the story. After 16 years as a tenant, Valentin’s rent is below market price, according to Restaino. The building Cafe Eclectic occupies is actually two storefronts, and Restaino says he wants to rent them at fair market value.
I love Cafe Eclectic, I’ve had good times there, and I like sending my customers there for coffee and dessert. I asked Valentin if he wanted to stay after his lease expired, however not at the current rent, which is about $3,500/month. Julio told me he has other plans,” says Restaino.
https://www.baristanetnew.wpengine.com/2011/08/cuban-petes-owner-talks-future-plans-for-montclairs-cafe-eclectic-space/
The Fine Grind would be a great choice for this spot but I heard that the store/building is a mess and needs tons of work. Knowing the landlord, he won’t repair a thing. Also knowing the owners of The Fine Grind, they’re too savvy to let the landlord get away with not taking care of what are his responsibilities. Good luck Fine Grind!!!
Sad. Appreciate that every Thursday evening (almost) when I enter Cafe Eclectic about 10:30 pm after a long night of teaching College Composition, a coffee or hot chocolate is available while I wait endlessly for a taxi. During winter snows they never closed until I got that taxi, even though I offered to wait outside after 11 pm. Good thing I am not teaching nights anymore! Really sad to see another “real” place go.
I saw that, pat. It’s vague and lacking in detail, which makes me think they’re both sticking to a line. But it’s not worth dissecting endlessly. The place is gone.