It has been vacant for a couple of years now, and at this point, there are no plans in the works to replace the former Charlie Brown’s restaurant located at the corner of Kettle Creek Road and Hooper Avenue in Toms River.
The site has long been a recreational social and drinking hub for residents of Silverton and lower Brick Township, dating back to the 1970s when it was a local bar known as Phil’s Liquor Locker Lounge. Charlie Brown’s was having success at the location for many years until covid-19 came, and the New Jersey lockdown under the direction of Governor Phil Murphy made it nearly impossible for the business to stay open.
Local residents would love to see a new restaurant move to the location, but which one? While the site would be an ideal one for a small chain or a steakhouse-type restaurant, so far, there does not seem to be any interested restaurateurs.
The closure of Charlie Brown’s could actually be helping other restaurants in the area, such as Brooklyn Square Pizza, and Riv’s Silverton Hub, as both businesses are wildly popular and busy most nights of the week.
A glimmer of hope for the restaurant it was rumored in April of 2022 when Charlie Brown’s reopened its Woodbury, restaurant after shutting down the brand Statewide in 2021. Since that announcement there has been no plans to reopen others. The brand now has two restaurants. One in Woodbury and one in Scotch Plains.
This isn’t the only Charlie Brown’s restaurant in Ocean County that sits vacant since the closures. The Charlie Brown’s on Route 70 in Lakewood also remains vacant to this day.
With multiple local choices that is Outback and Longhorn, it doesn’t seem likely that Charlie Brown’s will reopen the restaurant in such a competitive location.
There are no plans previously on record at the township of Toms River by applicants seeking to rehabilitate and reuse the space.
As far as what’s next for the old Charlie Brown’s location, at this point, it’s anybody’s guess.
The property is owned by Silverton Investors, LLC.