Stumpy’s Hatchet House, a brick-and-mortar indoor entertainment venue in Green Brook that its owner calls the No. 1 hatch-throwing venue in the nation, had to pay more than $80,000 in rent over a five-month period when it had zero revenue because of COVID-19 related closures. “As entrepreneurs we take risks, but no one expected the world to shut down,” Stumpy’s owner Monica Martinez Milian said during the New […]
NJ Business Coalition Town Hall
The Galileo Preschools’ Fosu: NJ’s Childcare Centers on ‘Brink of Closure’
Imagine the impact to New Jersey’s workforce if 60% of childcare centers were unavailable. That is a reality Racheal Fosu, president of the Galileo Preschools, said New Jersey is staring down as the costs to run childcare facilities become unsustainable during the COVID-19 pandemic. “While our business grew, legislative wage increases started to erode at […]
Lightbridge Academy’s Schweikert: Childcare Centers Struggle with COVID-19 Costs, Enrollment Impact of Universal Pre-K
Childcare centers are essential to working parents and New Jersey’s economy, but the costs to comply with COVID-19 safety mandates and the loss of students to universal pre-K classes in public school districts jeopardizes the industry’s future. That was the message delivered by Gigi Schweikert of Early Childhood Education Advocates Inc., during the New Jersey Business Coalition’s recent online town hall. Schweikert is also a bestselling early childhood education author and president of Lightbridge Academy, which operates 37 childcare centers in New Jersey. “We cannot have […]
Athletic Republic Escape’s Valli: Relief Needed for Tenants and Landlords Alike
In a time when maintaining good health and a strong immune system are key to fighting the effects of COVID-19, the fitness industry should be viewed as essential. Instead, Athletic Republic Escape General Manager Jeff Valli said he’s had to struggle with a “bad reputation” and government mandates that limited his Mount Laurel facility’s ability […]