Owner of Shortway's Barn in Hawthorne wins lotto jackpot — at his own restaurant
HAWTHORNE — Jay Shortway really cleaned up on a recent Sunday when he decided to get everything in working order at his family’s eponymous bar and restaurant.
He cleaned up in a way that is most people's preferred method: He won the lottery.
Shortway, 57, the owner of Shortway’s Barn on Goffle Road, bought a Cash4Life ticket at his bar and won the second-prize jackpot, worth $1,000 per week for life. The winning numbers were 9, 16, 21, 27 and 28.
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He had a choice to accept a lump sum cash award of $1 million. He also receives a $10,000 bonus for selling a winning ticket.
Shortway, who did not return a call this week, is a member of the Board of Education.
A statement by the New Jersey Lottery said Shortway purchased the lottery ticket on Easter, when his business was closed. He was there to make sure all was ready to go for lunch hour on the following day.
When a lottery agent visited the establishment to tell him about the winning ticket, the statement said, it took a few moments for that news to register in his mind. He soon realized that he was the winner — the only possible winner — because he was the only person there on Easter.
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In July 2020, a winning Cash4Life ticket was sold at a convenience store about 50 yards north on Goffle Road.
The odds of winning $1,000 per week for life, according to the lottery, are one in 7,282,016. Each Cash4Life play costs $2.
Cash4Life drawings are held daily at 9 p.m. Tickets must be purchased before 8:46 p.m. for that night’s drawing.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Passaic County NJ restaurant owner wins lotto jackpot
