This article is sponsored by The Waiting Room.
The holidays are just around the corner + it’s time to start thinking and planning those holiday and end-of-year corporate parties. The Waiting Room, located at 72 Hudson Street in Hoboken, is a nightlife destination in the Mile Square city and a fun place to host any type of event. This local bar always goes above and beyond (in the best way possible) with themed decorations + creative cocktails for special events. Keep reading to learn more about The Waiting Room and how to rent out the space for your next private party this holiday season.
Host Private Parties in The Waiting Room
When you’re planning a party in Hoboken, The Waiting Room should be on your radar. The decorations here are always incredible + the entire party experience can be customized to bring your vision to life.
“If they choose to have the place to themselves, they can curate their entire party, from having specialty drinks like you see at weddings to offering food from local restaurants that you love. No one else will offer this much of a customizable experience,” Patrick Light, owner of The Waiting Room, told The Hoboken Girl.
You can rent the entire space from Mondays to Thursdays for a reasonable price. The space fits 164 people, which is plenty of room for a large party.
The Waiting Room was created for experiences and this immersive venue transforms with the seasons. The creative team behind the decorations + themed cocktail menu can create an unforgettable event for anyone. To learn more, fill out the private party inquiry form online.
Sip Specialty, Seasonal Cocktails
The Waiting Room is the ultimate spot to begin a night out in Hoboken. The bar opens at 5PM Monday through Saturday and 12PM on Sundays + the menu has classic and seasonal cocktails. If you’re in the mood for a dirty martini with just the right amount of olives, this is the place to go.
“We have a great fall menu right now which features drinks like espresso martini flights with pumpkin, cinnamon, + peanut butter as well as an apple cider mule,” Hannah Taub, social media manager with The Waiting Room, told The Hoboken Girl.
The cocktail menu changes seasonally, so keep an eye out for spooky sips + festive favorites like hot toddies and the hot Winter Madness cocktail made with Irish whiskey, Baileys, hot chocolate and topped with graham cracker dust and whipped cream.
“The Waiting Room changes their experience + theme every few months to flow with the seasons. When themes change our cocktail menu evolves offering fun and unique options for all – cocktails + mocktails,” Patrick said.
All About The Waiting Room
The Waiting Room is an experience in downtown Hoboken. This bar changes its theme to fit the seasons, so in the winter you can cozy up at the Aprés Ski-themed bar, and in the summer you can be transported to Italy during the Postcards from Positano pop-up.
Patrick Light, owner of The Waiting Room, has plenty of experience running top-notch spots in Hoboken. The former MLB pitcher’s ownership group, The Light Group, also runs Texas Arizona, Green Rock Tap + Grill, McSwiggan’s, and the River Street Garage — all located in Hoboken.
The Waiting Room opened last year in the space that used to be Bobbleheads. It has quickly become a go-to spot for starting your night out or celebrating any special occasion.
“No other location, including my other 5 places, put this much effort into creating a different experience for the customer when they come in in different seasons,” Patrick said.
The Waiting Room is located at 72 Hudson Street in Hoboken. You can call 201-420-7070 or make a reservation here via Resy.
A Trip to Hoboken’s First Bagel Shop: Hoboken Hot Bagels
Here in New Jersey, there are three major food groups: pizza, pasta, and bagels. Hoboken has always been a frontrunner in the Italian restaurant department, but as recently as the early '80s, the City was without a traditional bagel shop. Hoboken's first, Hoboken Hot Bagels, opened in 1983 and still stands proudly — and relatively unchanged — at 634 Washington Street. The shop was started by Dick Wehr Jr. and is now run by his son, Richard. Richard's daughter, Francesca, is also a Hoboken business owner: a licensed social worker providing mental health counseling through her company Francesca Wehr, LCSW. We caught up with Richard and Francesca to talk about all things Hoboken, bagels, and business-owning. Keep reading to learn more about Hoboken's first bagel shop and the family behind it.
Origin Story
This story begins not with Dick or Richard but with Dick's wife, Jane Milo Wehr. Her father owned Campus Music in Hoboken and the neighboring property at 634 Washington Street. In 1983, Jane's father wanted to sell the property — and noticing a gap in the market, Dick Wehr decided to start a bagel store (Well, technically three. He opened two other stores in New Jersey, too).
Read More: Leo’s Grandevous Italian Restaurant — One of Hoboken’s Oldest Local Eateries
Richard was in high school at the time and was involved in the business from the get-go: baking, helping customers, and supporting his father in any way he could. As he puts it, his dad was the "brains and the money," while Richard was "the muscle."
Ten years later, in 1993, Dick wanted to sell the business and offered it up to Richard. For Richard, it was a no-brainer. He took over the Hoboken location and Ridgefield Park location. He's been in Hoboken ever since.
And like the ownership, not much has changed about Hoboken Hot Bagels since its inception. The recipes are the same ones originated by Dick Wehr and the equipment — including the bagel mixer — was purchased by Dick back in the '80s. Richard says that this old-schooler mixer "makes Hoboken Hot Bagels what they are."
What's On The Menu?
Hoboken Hot Bagels is exactly what you want from a New Jersey bagel shop: no frills, no fancy bells and whistles. Just bagels, cream cheeses (made in-house), breakfast sandwiches, and some chips.
But if there's a standout menu item, it's the everything bagel, which Dick Wehr used to say he invented. Richard doubts this, but Dick certainly invented his own kind of everything bagel. Both sides of the bagel are dipped into the seed mixture, ensuring maximum coverage with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion, and salt. It's very garlicky and very good.
Richard's go-to menu item is the everything bagel with sliced nova, scallion cream cheese, capers, and onions. Francesca, his daughter, is vegan-leaning, so opts for the everything bagel with the onion tofu spread.
HG pro tip: if there's a line outside, stay in it. Richard says this is when the bagels are fresh out of the oven, putting truth to the name Hoboken Hot Bagels.
Generational Impact
The first-hand exposure to running a business undoubtedly impacted Richard, and that impact was passed down to the next generation of Wehrs. Richard's daughter, Francesca is a licensed therapist and runs her own counseling practice here in Hoboken called Francesca Wehr, LCSW.
Mental health services may seem like a far cry from the bagel business (though, bagels are their own form of therapy), but Francesca says her father and grandfather played an instrumental role in her career.
"Seeing my dad run the business made the idea of starting a business seem like something that could be done," Francesca shared. "I saw my dad do it, I saw my grandpa do it, so it was just this natural progression of things. I didn't really think too much about the risks involved — but I learned along the way." For Francesca, it felt like a natural next step in her career; and Hoboken was the natural location.
See More: The Best Bagel Spots in the Montclair Area For Your AM Bagel Run
For Richard, it's the people that make the place. "As I've grown older and been here long enough, you see the new people coming and going — but I still have so many original friends that were here, and are still here," he remarked about owning a business in Hoboken. "It's a wonderful town; people are very friendly."
Hoboken Hot Bagels is open 6AM-2PM every day of the week (except Sundays, when it opens at 7AM). You can order in person or online, and keep up with Hoboken Hot Bagels on Instagram here.
