MIDDLETOWN - Fresh from an $8 million renovation, the Bottle King shopping center on Route 35 is attracting new tenants.
Most recently, Hotworx, a 24-hour fitness studio, has leased a 2,000-square-foot storefront formerly occupied by Buckbuilt, another fitness center, said Patti AmecAngelo, first vice president at CBRE, who represents the shopping center in its lease transactions.
Hotworx, which features virtually instructed exercise programs in infrared saunas, has other locations in Garwood, Livingston, Turnersville and Whippany. It will be the company's first studio in Monmouth County.
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The center has undergone a transformation. First, Bottle King moved to the former Jersey Strong space after the fitness center closed several years ago.
The center has undergone an $8 million renovation, which included a new façade and a new floor for Bottle King, owner Kenneth Friedman said. "We just did it because we wanted it to look right," said Friedman, whose family owns Bottle King stores. "In the spring, we'll do new plantings and new landscaping there."
Friedman said he wants the center to become a place where customers can find services and "things they don't get on the internet."
Located at the intersection of Route 35 and New Monmouth Road, the center's new façade has helped it keep up with other shopping centers in the area. Its location is a "home run," AmecAngelo said. "You're right in the middle of everything, all the retail in Middletown."
Other tenants include Harmony Natural, Atlantic Physical Therapy, Mr. Slice and Middletown Dry Cleaners.
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Owned by master colorist Jennifer Loprete-Sulejmani, the Glam House Salon held its grand opening in October. The salon's services include hair coloring, including highlights and balayage; precision hair cutting; and hair extensions.
"It has always been my goal and dream to build a gorgeous, upscale salon without pretense," Loprete-Sulejmani said.
Cinnamon bun company Mav's Top Buns has leased the former Greens and Grains, which closed in July, for its first brick and mortar location.
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Currently, owners Nikki and Mike Ashkar take orders online and bake their buns in a commercial kitchen, then pack them into a trailer and meet customers in a pre-designated shopping center parking lot. With the new space, the Ashkars are turning the former Greens and Grains, which closed in July, into a store for baking, pickups, shipping and parties.