When you hear that the owner of five salons is opening a new business, you kind of just assume it’s another salon. But that salon owner usually isn’t the entrepreneurial Eric Alt, the largest salon owner in Bergen County (who, just for background recently made his new men’s barbershop part skate shop). Now Alt is tackling a very new endeavor -- a vegetarian restaurant, because, well, we need one here.
“When [my partner] Thomas and I lived in Manhattan there were tons of interesting vegan and vegetarian options,” he says. “When we moved to Ho-Ho-Kus it was a process to find places that supported this way of eating. We wanted something fresh, interesting, and delicious.” And when they couldn’t find it, they decided to create it themselves.
The result is Alt EATS, a café slated to open next to Eric Alt Salon Untitled in Ho-Ho-Kus focused on fresh, seasonal and plant-driven dishes — like cold pea soup with yogurt and mint, a fresh watermelon and feta salad, and avocado toast — along with plenty of coffee. Alt’s mom is from Cuba and his family owns several coffee plantations and imports its products to the U.S. He’ll be taking advantage of those connections to serve a full-fledged coffee shop menu of Americanos, Cappuccinos, exotic teas, as well as some trendy turmeric, chamomile, and lavender lattes. Also look for a variety of dairy-free pastries and baked goods.
Alt says his partner Thomas, a vegan, opened his eyes to the importance of a plant-based diet, but so did his dog, Willi. “Animals are sentient and can feel pain, fear, and happiness. This came even more to light after we got our dog. Willi is amazing and I could never imagine anyone hurting him.”
So you can feel good about what you’re eating, get a killer coffee drink and – bonus! –salon clients can order up via iPads and have coffee and light snacks delivered right to their chairs while they’re getting their services done next door. Now that’s the kind of multi-tasking we’re talking about.
AltEats, Ho-Ho-Kus Opening June 1st
