A new restaurant called The Hudson Rose is set to take over the former Franklin Steakhouse space at 238 Franklin Avenue in Nutley — and it officially opens today, Friday, August 2nd. We first reported on the news back in September 2023, and the restaurant’s team shared with us in July 2024 that The Hudson Rose was planning for an August opening. The inspiration behind the new eatery comes from restaurants in New York City like The Smith, so guests can expect an unbelievable burger and french fries. In addition to the dining experience, there will be a banquet space where guests can have private parties and events. MG recently had the chance to try out this new restaurant ahead of its opening. Read on to learn more about The Hudson Rose in Nutley, New Jersey.

Taking Over Franklin Steakhouse

The owners of The Hudson Rose, Brian Neiman and his father-in-law Bruce Fischer of GAC Hospitality, took over the former Franklin Steakhouse property in February 2022. Jersey Digs announced the sale of the building for $1.6 million, which included a liquor license. The 4,000-square-foot-per-floor building includes three levels: a finished basement, the first-floor kitchen, bar and restaurant seating, and the third-floor banquet space with a dance floor and smaller bar.

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Since taking over 238 Franklin Avenue, GAC Hospitality Group has been hard at work renovating and fixing all the architectural plans. Brian told The Montclair Girl in September 2023: “We’re moving a whole staircase. We were creating a whole new prep room in the basement. We had to add in a sprinkler system to the building. So just like every little thing, making sure that it is perfect.”

The purchase of The Hudson Rose came before GAC opened its first restaurant, Pop’s Corner in Point Pleasant, which they were able to open last July to cater to all the summer beachgoers.

“My father-in-law and I, we both always wanted to own a restaurant. It’s kind of always a dream of ours, so I ended up quitting my job,” Brian shared, referring to his former job at J.P. Morgan where he worked on the tech side.

“I always had a passion to do this. My father was a chef, so we just grew up cooking, grew up loving food and always talking about it and after college, living in the city. I always loved that world, and something I always said, if I ever got the opportunity I wanted to do that,” Brian said.

Brian added that his father-in-law, Bruce, worked in restaurants when he was younger, and he now works in the fashion business as well as helping Brian out. The Hoboken resident said that he doesn’t regret quitting his job to open a restaurant. “It’s very stressful and definitely a totally different type of stress than I’ve ever experienced, but it’s so worth it. I love it and it’s been really fun,” Brian said.

About the Menu

The inspiration behind the restaurant came from Brian and Bruce’s experiences in the industry. “[We thought about] What do we want when we go out to eat, what’s our favorite food to eat, the type of service we want, the décor,” Brian said. They’ve also pulled some inspiration from some of their favorite restaurants in New York City, such as The Ribbon in the Upper West Side and The Smith, which has multiple locations in the city.

Some of the menu items will include fresh fish, dry-aged steaks, salads, delicious burgers, chicken dishes such as chicken under a brick, and a bone marrow appetizer.

The owners also shared that they’re going to have a staple item, like an unbelievable burger and french fries that is going to be something that people come back for.

Brian added, “Everyone makes lists of things, like, best burgers in this place. So that’s why we want to have a really killer burger and a lot of different fish dishes and chicken…I want everything to be very high-quality ingredients. You’ll be able to taste the difference in our food.”

Apart from the food, there will also be a stocked bar, a giant beautiful bar where everyone will be able to sit and enjoy their drinks. The cocktail menu will include some classics, a good martini, specialty cocktails as well as seasonal cocktails depending on the holiday.

Banquet Space

Working on the banquet space upstairs was a whole separate entity, but Brian and Bruce had a vision in mind (as seen in the renderings in this story) that will have anyone wanting to book their special occasion there.

“We’ll not only start to throw some parties for people, but we’ll try to host some, like some sort of themed dinner, live music, Mother’s Day/Father’s Day brunch, etc. There’s so much opportunity for different events for the town and fun, new things for people to do,” Brian said.

When asked about the type of events people can host, Brian shared it can be anything from weddings, rehearsal dinners, sweet sixteen, and Bar Mitzvahs to corporate events and PTO meetings. The space, called The Harlow Room, holds about 200 people, but construction was done to make it even bigger. Those interested can fill out a request form found on the website.

Arrival in Nutley

Brian and the team were looking to open up The Hudson Rose either by the end of 2023 or early 2024, but we now know that the team is planning for an August 2nd opening. The restaurant looks “completely different” compared to Franklin Steakhouse, especially given the modern look and beautiful artwork that will be added. However, they wanted to make sure to include some of the building’s original elements since the steakhouse has been a part of the community for years.

“It was a really special place for the town, so we really don’t want to just take that away from the town of Nutley. We want to give them something new to be proud of, something new that they will love,” Brian told MG.

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The restauranteur described it as “creating a new place in the dead center of town of Nutley.” Although The Hudson Rose joins other longtime establishments in town, he said that the “décor, vibe, service and delicious food” will make the new upscale eatery stand out.

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