Last week we celebrated two more new businesses opening up in downtown Denville. Both Vikingos Cake Shoppe & Bakery and El Lechon de Negron are officially open for business, upping the flavor profile of our town’s already delicious offerings.
Vikingos Cake Shoppe & Bakery, owned by Jillian VanStrand and Jesus Gomez, took over the former Viking Bakery space on First Avenue, and after a year-long journey, they kicked celebrated their grand opening on Friday and a ribbon cutting with the Mayor on Saturday. While their name pays homage to the former bakery, the ownership, recipes, and enthusiasm are all brand new.
El Lechon de Negron is a Puerto Rican restaurant that officially opened last Tuesday and has enjoyed long lines ever since. An extension of their Union location, this one shares space with Mara’s Bakery and is undoubtedly bringing Denville something it was missing. With changing menu specials every day, and popular staples available regularly, they are filling an ethnic niche for our community.
Opening up a new business is a challenge in the base case, but opening up a new business during a pandemic is an even bolder move. These new businesses, and the rest of our small business community, continue to need the ongoing support of their customers. As we head into the holiday season, we urge you to make shopping and eating local a priority so we can continue to keep your favorite businesses here.