Should Morristown, NJ accept the proposal for this new venue?

When the people who wanted to build the new entertainment venue called The Backyard approached Morristown officials, they described it as a restaurant, not a nightclub.

The Walsh family, who owns several entertainment venues in the area, proposed a two-story restaurant with seasonal dining in the backyard and a heated front patio that would serve as a meeting place and a fun dining spot.

“It’s to create an environment that feels like a comfortable outdoor backyard,” with barbecues, cornhole games, birthday parties and other special events, Walsh said.

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According to Morristown Green, residents of Morristown are not so sure.

"The Backyard" Morristown's newest establishment proposal, is planned for
39 South St.

Morristown's official Instagram describes it like this:

"Picture this: a sprawling haven reminiscent of your favorite backyard gatherings, from food trucks, to outdoor games, to happy hours and more."

It’s slated to be an upscale downstairs bar and an upstairs sanctuary under a retractable roof.

Great for stargazing as well as for enjoying sunny New Jersey days. Sounds amazing, right? Some residents aren’t so thrilled. The town meets tonight to give their stamp of approval/disapproval.

It remains to be seen how the residents of Morristown will feel about the new place.

Reactions vary from “Oh come on!!! another bar??”

To “We NEED something like this to liven up the place!”

I think a lot of places are having to reinvent themselves to be relevant. Morristown has lost so many retail establishments that whatever works rather than a vacant space sounds like a good idea.

The Backyard looks to me to be a great spot for finding entertainment in Morristown. But then again, I don’t live there.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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