Yesterday, for the first time since the iHOP in Verona stopped serving pancakes, there were some signs of life at the property: A dumpster out front and workers hauling stuff into it. But don’t get too excited that something new will be going on the site soon. Verona town manager Joe Martin says that the site’s owner, Roy Summerhalter, is merely cleaning out the interior to get a better handle on it, and no redevelopment plans have yet been filed. Summerhalter owns the iHOP site and the plots to its east and west, where his wife operates the Learning Express store.
By the way, there was also a dumpster yesterday by the Poekel Travel business up by the Verona Community Center. Let’s hope there’s going to be some redevelopment happening there, too.
I’d love to see the old IHOP torn down and replaced with a cafe like Montclair’s Raymond’s, with outdoor tables, great coffee and bistro food. Wouldn’t something like this brighten up the spot and enhance the neighborhood?
Ooh… we like the Raymond’s idea. Went to Raymond’s for lunch on Thursday and saw two large tables with Verona residents at each. And what about putting a Starbucks there… with a nicely sized parking lot for convenience? The mind reels…