It’s honestly hard to describe the gut punch felt across Monmouth County when that "Closed" sign went up on Harrison Avenue. For over a century, Sickles Market Little Silver New Jersey wasn’t just a place where you overpaid for fancy balsamic or grabbed a last-minute orchid for a dinner party. It was the soul of the town.
Basically, if you lived in Little Silver, Rumson, or Fair Haven, you grew up with the Sickles family. You saw the old blue tractor. You knew the smell of the greenhouse in April. Then, in early 2024, the unthinkable happened: the doors locked, the lights went dim, and a bankruptcy filing revealed a mess of debt that left everyone—from local vendors to loyal employees—reeling.
But the story didn't end there. 2025 brought a glimmer of hope with a rebranding, and now, in early 2026, we’re looking at a completely different landscape for this historic property.
The Rise and Sudden Fall of an Empire
The history here is deep. Like, "land grant from the King of England" deep. The Sickles family had been farming this specific dirt since the 1660s, but the market as we knew it officially kicked off in 1908. It survived the Great Depression. It survived a massive fire in the 80s.
So, what changed?
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Honestly, it seems like a classic case of growing too fast, too soon. Bob Sickles Jr. took a massive gamble by expanding into the Anderson Building in Red Bank right around the time the pandemic hit. It was a beautiful space—high ceilings, industrial chic, gourmet everything—but the timing was cursed. Between labor shortages, rising costs, and a drop-off in commuter foot traffic, the Red Bank "Bottles by Sickles" and market offshoot became a massive financial anchor.
By the time 2024 rolled around, the debt was staggering. We’re talking over $5 million owed to banks, landlords, and small-time vendors who had been supplying the market for years. When the Little Silver flagship finally went dark on March 11, 2024, it wasn't just a business closing; it was a 116-year legacy hitting a brick wall.
1663 Market: The Short-Lived Revival
You’ve probably heard about the "1663 Market" attempt. Last year, three local families stepped in to try and save the property. They called it 1663 Market—a nod to the original land grant year—and they really tried to do right by the community.
They did some pretty noble stuff:
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- Paid back former employees who were stiffed on their final paychecks.
- Started honoring those old Sickles gift cards (in 20% increments).
- Brought back the seasonal festivals and the greenhouse vibe.
For a few months, it felt like the magic was back. You could get your coffee, see the familiar faces of staff who had returned, and pretend the 2024 collapse was just a bad dream. But as of mid-January 2026, the news has taken another sharp turn.
Running a boutique grocery store in this economy is brutal. The overhead on a 6-acre property is insane. Despite the best intentions of the new ownership group, 1663 Market announced it would be closing its doors for good on January 18, 2026. It turns out that picking up the pieces of a bankrupt institution is a lot harder than it looks on paper.
Why Sickles Market Little Silver New Jersey Still Matters
People are still obsessed with this place because it represents a lost era of retail. It wasn’t a sterile Whole Foods. It was a place where the owner might actually be standing in the aisle talking to you about the best time to buy Jersey peaches.
The loss of the market leaves a massive hole in the "Two River" lifestyle. Where do you go for that specific cranberry tuna salad? Where do you take the kids for the Halloween displays?
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There’s also the very real concern about what happens to the land. This is prime real estate. Developers have been eyeing this pocket of Little Silver for decades. The fear is that if a market can’t survive here, we might just see more luxury condos or another generic strip mall.
The Reality of the Debt
Let’s be real for a second. The bankruptcy filings were a mess. It wasn't just big banks like Northfield that got hurt; it was the local flower growers and the small-batch cheese makers.
When a business like Sickles Market Little Silver New Jersey fails, it creates a ripple effect. Some vendors are still fighting for pennies on the dollar two years later. It’s a reminder that even the most "iconic" businesses are fragile.
Actionable Insights: What You Need to Know Now
If you’re a local resident or a fan of the market, here is the current reality as we move through 2026:
- Gift Card Deadlines: If you still have an old Sickles or 1663 Market gift card, you need to check the 1663mkt website immediately. With the permanent closure happening this week (January 18), the window to use those credits is slamming shut.
- Support Local Alternatives: While we mourn the loss of the Harrison Avenue market, other local spots like The Grove in Shrewsbury or the smaller farm stands in Colts Neck are still fighting the good fight. They need your business now more than ever.
- Watch the Zoning Board: Keep an eye on the Little Silver planning and zoning meetings. The future of that 6-acre tract is going to be a major point of contention in 2026. If you want to see it remain "green" or keep its agricultural roots, you've got to show up.
- The Red Bank Site: If you’re looking for that gourmet market experience, the old Red Bank Sickles location has been replaced by Anderson Market. It’s run by a different group (Culture Collective) and has a more modern, community-hub vibe. It’s not Sickles, but it’s a solid alternative for the West Side.
It’s the end of an era, truly. We watched a century-old family business crumble, saw a valiant local effort to save it, and now we're watching the doors close one last time. It’s a tough pill to swallow for a town that defined itself by that market, but the memories of those Jersey tomatoes and the Christmas greenhouse aren't going anywhere.