Four-term Hoboken city council member and current City Council President Jen Giattino passed away suddenly at the age of 53 on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024. Jen represented Ward 6 and was a longtime Hoboken community member. The news of her passing was announced on November 5th by Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, who expressed his gratitude for Jen’s service to the community.
Jen was a Realtor with the Hoboken office of Corcoran Real Estate and took pride in sharing the Hoboken community with others. “I absolutely love where I live,” she says, “and I want to help other families find their place here.” reads a statement on her bio. The same statement described her City Council service as a natural extension of her desire to serve and connect with the Hoboken community.
Jen and her husband Joe have three sons. In a statement to the Hudson County View, Joe said, “Jen’s unwavering commitment, kindness, and passion touched so many lives here in Hoboken. We are devastated by her loss, and I ask for privacy for our family as we try to navigate this difficult time. Thank you for your understanding and for keeping Jen in your thoughts and prayers.”
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A meal train has been started for the Giattino family to support them during this difficult time. Click here to donate.
Jen’s obituary can be found here. It was written by Hoboken Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, who was a dear friend of Jen’s.
Visitation will take place on Monday, November 11th from 2PM-9PM at the Lawton-Turso Funeral Home located at 633 Washington Street in Hoboken. A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, November 13th at 10AM at Saint Peter & Paul Church located at 404 Hudson Street in Hoboken.
Our thoughts are with Jen’s friends and family.
Updates on ‘The Biscuit Babe’ Replacing Former D’s Soul Full in Hoboken
After 17 years, D’s Soul Full Cafe announced its closure in May 2023 at 918 Willow Avenue in Hoboken. We got word shortly after that a new spot was filling the space. ‘The Biscuit Babe’ is the new exterior signage that appeared on Willow in its place. Although specific details regarding the menu and opening date are limited, the restaurant’s Instagram photos focus on serving breakfast, brunch, and biscuits. Over a year after putting signage up on Willow Avenue, The Biscuit Babe has revealed new signage in the space. Read on for details Biscuit Babe coming to Hoboken, New Jersey.
Photo Credit: Nicholas Buseck
The Biscuit Babe — Coming Soon
In December 2023, locals noticed the signage up at 918 Willow Avenue saying, “The Biscuit Babe…Coming Soon” in big letters embossed on the glass. Several readers DMed us the news, as well as seeing it firsthand.
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We did a little recon, and while scarce details were available, the company’s Instagram, @thebiscuitbabe, shared its first post on Thursday, November 30th, “Hoboken are you ready? We are so excited to service you! Stay tuned.”
More research led us to the company’s LLC — publicly registered in the New Jersey Department of the Treasury Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services as 'The Biscuit Babe LLC' — which names Nichola Hing as the registrant in June 2023.
The name is seemingly familiar, as it's almost identical to Nikhol Hing, who is a former Love and Hip Hop reality star, and women's clothing brand.
The Hoboken Girl has reached out for comment via Instagram on what to expect from the new spot as well as more about the owners — this post will be updated with any further details.
Update as of May 22nd, 2024
Earlier this week, members of Team HG walked passed 918 Willow Avenue and noticed that construction is underway at the site. The Biscuit Babe signage is, at present, not on the window. Here's what we saw:
Updates as of February 4th, 2025
New signage for The Biscuit Babe has been revealed on Willow Avenue, different from the previous signage. Here's what Team HG saw when we walked by:
The Locale’s Backstory
While details remain limited about the specifics of the menu and opening date, the name alone conjures visions of warm buttery biscuits and Southern-inspired fare.
A few photos on its Instagram showcase images of biscuits, coffee, and french toast. One caption under a photo states, “Brunch, breakfast, and biscuits baby,” hinting at upcoming menu items and the outpost being a breakfast spot.
D’s Soul Full Cafe, the restaurant previously in 918 Willow’s location, served comfort food and had been a local favorite in Hoboken for 17 years before its closure in May 2023. Owner Stephen Bailey previously shared with The Hoboken Girl back in 2019 that the restaurant has a varied tenant history. Longtime Hoboken residents may recall that the space was once home to the former Bagel Smashery in 2002. This bagel shop’s Willow Avenue location soon changed its name to Josh + Ive’s, and slowly began to evolve into more of a sandwich shop over time.
The shop was sold to Dwight Thompson (the D in D’s) in 2006, who had big plans for the menu. After a few years of expanding the menu to breakfast burritos, specialty subs, wraps, and more, Dwight decided to change the name and make it his own officially.
In 2010, D’s Soul Full Cafe was born. The following year, Stephen Bailey bought the shop and worked with Dwight and their longtime teammate Howard Jones to “push the boundaries of comfort food in Hoboken.”
The restaurant also continuously supported local artists and musicians by offering its storefront for performing songs and walls for hanging art. The idea behind this concept was through Stephen’s belief that art and music are as important as food to the survival of the human spirit.
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Although no additional details have been disclosed regarding the new establishment coming to Hoboken just yet — stay tuned to the company’s Instagram.
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