It was a Monday morning in March 2024 when the unthinkable happened. People pulled into the familiar gravel lot at 1 Harrison Avenue, ready for their usual haul of Honeycrisp apples, Booskerdoo coffee, and those legendary local raspberries, only to find a taped sign on the door. "So sorry, we are closed." No warning. No big goodbye sale. Just a century of history suddenly locked behind glass.
Honestly, for anyone living in the Two River area, Sickles Market Little Silver NJ wasn't just a grocery store. It was a landmark. It was where you went for your Christmas tree, your Easter ham, and the "good" cheese that made you look like a gourmet chef at dinner parties. Seeing it go dark felt like a death in the family.
The expansion that went south
How does a business survive the Great Depression, two World Wars, and Hurricane Sandy, only to collapse in the 2020s?
The short answer: Red Bank.
For decades, Sickles was a single-location powerhouse. But in 2020—right in the thick of the pandemic—the family opened a massive second location in the Anderson Building on Monmouth Street. It was supposed to be a "grab-and-go" paradise for commuters. Instead, it became a financial anchor that eventually dragged the whole ship down.
Between the lack of parking in Red Bank and the shift in commuter habits, the new store never hit its stride. By the time Bob Sickles Jr. and his team realized the math wasn't working, they were already deep in the hole. We're talking millions. Court filings eventually revealed a staggering mountain of debt: $5.3 million to Northfield Bank, $1.3 million in merchant cash advances, and hundreds of thousands in unpaid rent and sales tax.
The human cost of the closure
While the bankruptcy numbers are dizzying, the real sting was felt on the ground. When the market shuttered, about 80 people lost their jobs instantly.
Even worse? Some employees hadn't been paid since January. Vendors, many of them small local farmers and artisans, were left holding bounced checks. One fruit wholesaler from Manhattan reported being out $26,000. It wasn't just a business failure; it was a community-wide mess that left a lot of people feeling betrayed by a family they had trusted for generations.
🔗 Read more: America's Auto Auction Richmond: Why Local Dealers Keep Coming Back
1663 Market: A fresh start or a final chapter?
By the summer of 2025, there was finally a glimmer of hope. A group of Rumson residents—Jennifer Karp, Dennis Devine, and Timothy McCooey—formed an investment vehicle called 1663 Partners. They stepped in with a plan to buy the property and the business, effectively bailing out the Sickles family and keeping the land from being turned into just another block of luxury condos.
They renamed the spot 1663 Market, a nod to the year the Parker family (ancestors of the Sickles) first received the land grant from the King of England.
The new owners made some big promises early on:
- Paying back the unpaid wages to former employees.
- Honoring old Sickles gift cards (usually in 20% increments per purchase).
- Keeping Bob Sickles and his daughters on as employees to maintain that "family feel."
For a few months, it actually seemed to be working. The garden center was blooming again, and locals were trickling back in to check out the new pastry counter and smoothie bar.
The 2026 bombshell
If you’ve been following the news this week, you know the story just took another sharp turn. On January 15, 2026, the management at 1663 Market posted a sudden announcement on Instagram.
✨ Don't miss: Elon Musk College Degree: What Really Happened at UPenn and Stanford
The market is closing. Permanently. This Sunday.
It seems the "fresh start" couldn't overcome the lingering shadows of the bankruptcy or the shifting retail climate in Monmouth County. Despite the best intentions of the new investment group, the site at 1 Harrison Avenue is going quiet once again. It’s a gut-punch for the town of Little Silver, which has spent the last two years wondering if its most famous corner would ever truly recover.
What this means for the property's future
The big question now is the land. The 1 Harrison Avenue site is roughly six acres of prime real estate. In an area where every square inch of dirt is worth a fortune, the pressure to develop is intense.
During the bankruptcy proceedings, there was talk of "residential purposes" to help enhance the property's value. With the retail venture failing a second time in two years, it’s looking more likely that we might see a proposal for townhomes or apartments. Little Silver residents have historically been vocal about preserving the borough’s character, so expect any zoning changes to be a massive battle at the town hall.
Lessons from the Sickles Market saga
What can we learn from the rise and fall of this institution? It’s a classic case of over-expansion. Sometimes, being the best in your town is enough. Trying to replicate that magic in a different environment—like the high-rent, low-parking world of Red Bank—is a gamble that doesn't always pay off, even for a brand with 100 years of goodwill.
If you’re a local holding a gift card or wondering about your favorite clerk, here is what you need to know right now:
- Redeem what you can: If you have credit, get to the market before 5:00 PM this Sunday.
- Watch the legal filings: The bankruptcy cases for the original Sickles entities are still technically winding through the courts.
- Support other locals: If this closure leaves a hole in your grocery routine, remember that places like Delicious Orchards or the smaller local butchers still rely on your business to avoid a similar fate.
The era of the "lifestyle retailer" on Harrison Avenue might be over, but the history of that land—from a 1663 royal grant to a 2026 closure—is a permanent part of New Jersey lore.
📖 Related: Public Service Electric & Gas Stock Price: Why Most Investors Get It Wrong
Next Steps for Locals:
Check the official 1663 Market Instagram for final clearance sale details before Sunday's permanent closure. If you are a creditor or former employee still seeking restitution from the original bankruptcy, you should contact the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey regarding Case No. 24-14781-CMG to ensure your claim is updated.