Freedom isn’t free. Remembering those who gave t Freedom isn’t free. Remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. 🇺🇸
Happy #NationalBurgerDay! @njdotcom recently rated Happy #NationalBurgerDay! @njdotcom recently rated the top burgers in the state and Morristown and Morris Plains snagged two of the spots. You can pop into The Committed Pug and Arthur’s and see if you agree!
We’re excited about this new addition to the str We’re excited about this new addition to the strip across from Shop Rite! 🥗
So we love noodles and always eat dessert first! D So we love noodles and always eat dessert first! Don’t see an issue here…
Remembering the meaning of Memorial Day… 🇺🇸
We don’t always eat dessert, but when we do, the We don’t always eat dessert, but when we do, they’re color coordinated. 😂 Satisfy your sweet tooth and then some on your next visit to @tommystaverntap.
Now that we’ve discovered breakfast at @coniglio Now that we’ve discovered breakfast at @coniglios, there’s no turning back! Their new line of both sweet and savory items are to die for, but we especially loved their ham croissant, the pastry with mortadella and the gorgeous loaves of bread. Don’t miss out on this unexpected deliciousness. Their breakfast selections can be found Wednesday through Sunday (7 am on weekdays and 8 am weekends). 😋
Getting ready for Beach Days this Summer? 23 South Getting ready for Beach Days this Summer? 23 South has the cutest stuff and this bag is at the top of our list! You can use it for snacks, sunblocks, toiletries, or whatever your heart desires… we just know that we want it nowwww ✨🏖️
Looking to grab one, or a couple new books? Barnes Looking to grab one, or a couple new books? Barnes & Noble always has a great collection as well as super friendly staff to help you with whatever you may need. Happy Reading! 📚
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Meet the Locals · August 1, 2022

Morristown’s Changing Landscape

There was once a corner sandwich shop in Morristown called Fattys. It was an establishment that didn’t pretend to be something it wasn’t. There were no salads on the menu. 1000 calories per serving was the bare minimum, and if you inquired about any gluten free or keto options, you were politely asked to leave. We existed to serve people who wished to indulge. After all, our motto was “Every Day is a Cheat Day”, and we were open until 3am every single day. When disaster struck, or I simply needed a breather from the chaotic existence of my chosen life as a serial entrepreneur, I would step outside onto the corner of Morris and Spring Street. I would walk up the street toward the green about 60 feet and stand on this grassy vacant lot. I had no idea how it came to be or who it belonged to. I didn’t even know it had its own address. But I had a feeling there was some type of history. It was a great location. How could it be vacant? At this time, I was just beginning my foray into commercial real estate and it was seemingly a pipe dream to ever own or control such an asset. After all, raw land was a blank canvas, and attempting to develop it in a hot market was tremendously risky. How could it ever be mine? The barriers of entry were insurmountable. There’s no way I could ever get in.

Until I did.

Michael Dey of Morristown, NJ - themorrisguide.com

I heard a random conversation about this land being available. To me, it meant there was a possibility, however remote, it could be available to me. I contacted the property owners, and it took 8 months to even get a meeting with them. When I did, it took another year for them to even take me seriously.

I wasn’t an experienced real estate investor, let alone developer. The land was in a special redevelopment zone which meant there was an additional layer of red tape and hurdles to overcome before the planning board will even consider you. Everything about this deal said…”go away”. I knew there had to be an angle. I didn’t know what I was looking for, until I found the missing piece to the puzzle. The public record states that this property is only 18 feet wide, therefore making it next to impossible to build a multi floor structure on it. I found a property card from 1957 stating that this was incorrect, and after sending my engineers out to survey the property, I discovered the true dimension was in fact, 27 feet wide. Turns out that when the property records were digitized, the dimensions were improperly recorded. And since the land has been vacant since 1962, nobody bothered to check. I had discovered a needle in a haystack, now all I had to do was convince the largest, most sophisticated property owners in Morristown to hand it over to someone with no experience or money.

We agreed on a ground lease with a future purchase option, and I sought to develop the property the old school way. My family restaurant business at the base floor (Fattys and Sugarlips Donuts) with my new family residing upstairs. A true departure from the generic, massive apartment buildings being erected everywhere by faceless corporations. It’s the style of real estate development that led to the establishment of cities all across the United States; the old way of doing things in a modern era of scrappy entrepreneurs trying to graduate into a larger world. Keep your eyes peeled on the growing Morristown Streetscape in the next year to watch this project become a reality.

Michael Dey of Morristown, NJ - themorrisguide.com

Michael Dey is a former Master Automotive Technician that morphed into a restaurant entrepreneur and real estate investor/developer.

In: Meet the Locals

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Freedom isn’t free. Remembering those who gave t Freedom isn’t free. Remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. 🇺🇸
Happy #NationalBurgerDay! @njdotcom recently rated Happy #NationalBurgerDay! @njdotcom recently rated the top burgers in the state and Morristown and Morris Plains snagged two of the spots. You can pop into The Committed Pug and Arthur’s and see if you agree!
We’re excited about this new addition to the str We’re excited about this new addition to the strip across from Shop Rite! 🥗
So we love noodles and always eat dessert first! D So we love noodles and always eat dessert first! Don’t see an issue here…
Remembering the meaning of Memorial Day… 🇺🇸
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