Lakewood Ruby Tuesday will be transformed by this new business for Ocean County

LAKEWOOD - Once a go-to for salad bar aficionados, the former Ruby Tuesday on Route 70 will become a destination for those seeking a fancy updo or other chic hair stylings.

Haven Salon Studios has signed a lease for the former Ruby Tuesday, a 5,400-square-foot space which closed in May 2020, one of several the restaurant chain closed at the time.

Haven Salon Studios will remodel the restaurant's interior to create 28 salon suites. They will be leased to beauty professionals, including barbers and hairstylists who can set up shop and run their own businesses.

"They will have all an operator needs to turnkey and walk into the business," said Stacie Harkavy, who owns Haven Salon Studios with her husband, Jason. It includes sinks, styling chairs, shampoo sinks and cabinetry and quartz countertops.

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It will be the Harkavys second location. In May 2022, they opened at Plaza 35 Village, a redeveloped shopping center on Route 35 in Eatontown.

The new salon studio sits across from the Town and Country Shopping Center on Route 70, a busy retail area. and near the Garden State Parkway interchange.

"We want to be in the middle of civilization," Jason Harkavy told What's Going There. "This location is attached to a Starbucks and it is next to a restaurant (Longhorn Steakhouse) and a hotel (Hilton Garden Inn.) Across the street is tons of shopping."

There's also plenty of windows and lots of space for parking, another requirement, he said.

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"We love the freestanding building that will allow for windows in almost every suite," Stacie Harkavy said.

Currently, workers are demolishing the building's interior to prepare for a remodel. They hope to open before the end of the year.

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David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for more than 20 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There column and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Join his What's Going There page on Facebook for updates.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Old Ruby Tuesday in Lakewood NJ to be replaced by Haven Salon Studios