New Jersey research
The index of Nightrush category bibles for opening and running a venue in Hudson County and Newark.
- Categories
- 44
- Words
- 99,666
- Graded sources
- 2,662
- Municipalities
- 13
- Venues mapped
- 927
- Figures as of
- 24 Sep 2026
Every venue in the thirteen towns as OpenStreetMap records it. OpenStreetMap undercounts the real market; the drawing shows where the research applies.
T-102
Hudson County and Newark, hospitality venues
927 venues, OpenStreetMap, 25 Sep 2026
Rev. 2026-09-25
Venues by town
- Jersey CityUEZ316
- NewarkUEZ263
- Hoboken169
- Union CityUEZ34
- KearnyUEZ28
- Secaucus24
- West New YorkUEZ22
- BayonneUEZ21
- North BergenUEZ14
- GuttenbergUEZ13
- Weehawken12
- Harrison10
- East Newark1
1
What this is
Nightrush writes one category bible for each vendor, service and regulatory concern involved in opening and running a venue in Hudson County and Newark. Each is written from graded New Jersey sources under the contract described on the Technology page. All 44 carry a per-municipality matrix, one row per town.
The bibles are proprietary and available to Nightrush operators in the product. This page is the index.
2
Why New Jersey is its own problem
A New York bible does not transfer to New Jersey. The agencies differ and so do the costs, so each New Jersey bible states where it departs from New York rather than assuming it.
| Concern | New York City | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | New York State Liquor Authority, community board stipulations. | NJ Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Plenary retail consumption licences are capped by population, roughly 1 per 3,000 residents, so they trade on a secondary market at six and seven figures in Hudson County. It is the largest cost difference between opening in New Jersey and opening in New York. |
| Construction | NYC Department of Buildings, Environmental Control Board. | NJ Uniform Construction Code, enforced by the municipal construction official. Permits are issued locally, not by a city-wide department. |
| Fire | FDNY. | NJ Uniform Fire Code, local fire official, separate annual registration and inspection cycle. |
| Food | NYC Department of Health letter grades. | NJ Chapter 24 retail food code, enforced by the municipal or county health department. No letter grades. |
| Zoning | NYC Zoning Resolution. | Municipal ordinances plus redevelopment plans, which in Jersey City govern large parts of the waterfront and Journal Square. |
| Labour | New York wage orders. | NJ minimum wage, NJ Earned Sick Leave, NJ wage payment law, NJ unemployment and temporary disability. |
| Sales tax | 8.875%. | 6.625% on restaurant food and drink everywhere in the state, zones included. The reduced UEZ rate of 3.3125% covers retail sales of most goods by certified zone businesses, not meals; a certified restaurant in a zone is exempt from sales tax on its own equipment and supply purchases, up to $100,000 a year. Eight of the thirteen towns in market are UEZ-designated, per the state's own list. |
3
What a matrix looks like
Each bible carries its facts town by town. This is the matrix for business registration and mercantile licence, one row per municipality, with each town linked to the page its row was taken from.
| Municipality | Issuing office | Fee | Ordinance | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoboken | City Clerk's Office | Restaurant $200 to $600, by seats | Municipal Code ch. 128, Licenses | Annual, expires 31 December |
| Jersey City | Division of Commerce | Set per licence type; no single table | Municipal Code, Division of Commerce licences | Not published |
| Weehawken | Township Clerk | Not published | Township Code ch. 4, General Licensing | Not published |
| Union City | City Clerk; Business and UEZ Office | Not published | Municipal Code ch. 234 and ch. 185 | Not published |
| West New York | Town Clerk, Business License Office | Food retail $125 to $225, by risk | Business License Application, Town Code | Not published |
| Guttenberg | Town Clerk | Not published; $100 late fine | Town Code ch. 4, General Licensing | Annual, due by February |
| North Bergen | Business License Division | Not published | Business License Application, Township ordinances | Not published |
| Secaucus | Town Clerk | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Bayonne | City Clerk; Health Division for food | Restaurant $200 to $650, by seats | Revised General Ordinances ch. 4 and ch. 21 | Annual, by 31 January |
| Kearny | Town Clerk, Mercantile Business License office | Restaurant $50 to $100, by seats | Municipal Code ch. 5, art. I, Mercantile Business Licenses | Not published |
| Harrison | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| East Newark | Borough Clerk's Office | Food licence $75 | Borough Code ch. 2, art. VII, Administrative Fees | Not published |
| Newark | Division of Licensing, Department of Finance | Varies by type; no published table | Municipal Code, business licence chapters | Annual, expires 31 December |
4
The 44 categories
Grouped by what an operator is buying, alphabetical within each group.
| Category | What it covers | Sources | Towns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business registration and mercantile licence | State entity and tax registration, and the mercantile licence each of the thirteen towns issues on top of it.50 sources, 13 towns | 50 | 13 |
| Cannabis consumption lounge | The state and municipal endorsements that allow on-site consumption at a licensed cannabis retailer.49 sources, 13 towns | 49 | 13 |
| Closing hours and entertainment licence | Municipal closing hours for alcohol sales, and the separate entertainment licence some towns require.41 sources, 13 towns | 41 | 13 |
| Event permits | The set of municipal permits behind a street festival, beer garden, block party or ticketed rooftop event.44 sources, 13 towns | 44 | 13 |
| Health department and food safety | The retail food licence, kitchen plan review and certified food protection manager a venue needs to open.92 sources, 13 towns | 92 | 13 |
| Liquor licence | Population-capped retail consumption licences, bought on a secondary market and approved by the town.84 sources, 13 towns | 84 | 13 |
| Music licensing | Performing-rights licences for any public music, and municipal permission to host live entertainment.37 sources, 13 towns | 37 | 13 |
| Sidewalk cafe and outdoor dining | Municipal licences for sidewalk and curbside seating, and the state approval to serve alcohol there.47 sources, 13 towns | 47 | 13 |
| Signage and sign permits | Permits, fees and design review for storefront signs and awnings, and the fabricators who make them.50 sources, 13 towns | 50 | 13 |
| Tobacco, hookah and cigar licence | Licensing for retail tobacco and vapour sales, cigar lounges and hookah lounges.48 sources, 13 towns | 48 | 13 |
| UEZ certification and sales tax | How a business in an Urban Enterprise Zone is certified, and the exemption on its own equipment and supply purchases.48 sources, 13 towns | 48 | 13 |
| Category | What it covers | Sources | Towns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architect | Sealed construction documents a municipal construction official will accept, and design that clears planning or zoning review.31 sources, 13 towns | 31 | 13 |
| Commercial refrigeration | Service and repair of walk-ins, reach-ins, ice machines, and draft and glycol systems.37 sources, 13 towns | 37 | 13 |
| Electrical service and repair | Panel, circuit, lighting and generator work after the build, and the periodic inspections that follow.49 sources, 13 towns | 49 | 13 |
| Elevator service and inspection | Maintenance contracts, repairs and inspections that keep elevators, dumbwaiters, lifts and escalators legal.40 sources, 13 towns | 40 | 13 |
| Fire and burglar alarm monitoring | Installation, service and 24-hour central-station monitoring of fire alarm panels and intrusion systems.46 sources, 13 towns | 46 | 13 |
| Fire protection service and inspection | Installation, service, testing and inspection of extinguishers, hood suppression, alarms and sprinklers.93 sources, 13 towns | 93 | 13 |
| General contractor | Build-out contractors working under the Uniform Construction Code and each town's construction official.40 sources, 13 towns | 40 | 13 |
| HVAC service and repair | Diagnostics, emergency dispatch, refrigerant work and maintenance contracts for heating and cooling.95 sources, 13 towns | 95 | 13 |
| Interior design and millwork | Interior designers, whom New Jersey does not license, and the millwork shops that fabricate the fit-out.40 sources, 13 towns | 40 | 13 |
| Locksmith and access control | Locksmiths and security installers, who need a state licence in New Jersey and none from New York State.42 sources, 13 towns | 42 | 13 |
| Plumbing service and repair | Drains, sewer lines, fixtures and water heaters, and the backflow and grease-trap compliance calendar.45 sources, 13 towns | 45 | 13 |
| Security cameras | Surveillance for entrances, exits, parking and interiors, and the integrators who install and service it.35 sources, 13 towns | 35 | 13 |
| Soundproofing and noise ordinance | Acoustic contractors and consultants, and the municipal noise ordinances that make them necessary.49 sources, 13 towns | 49 | 13 |
| Category | What it covers | Sources | Towns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol distributors | Beer, wine and spirits wholesalers under New Jersey's three-tier system and its statutory wholesale licence fees.42 sources, 13 towns | 42 | 13 |
| Broadline food distributor | The single-vendor account that supplies most of a kitchen's case goods on a set delivery schedule.40 sources, 13 towns | 40 | 13 |
| Kitchen equipment | Supply, specification and installation of commercial kitchen equipment, most opening budgets’ largest line.93 sources, 13 towns | 93 | 13 |
| Linen and uniform rental | Weekly route service for tablecloths, napkins, bar mops, aprons and staff uniforms.32 sources, 13 towns | 32 | 13 |
| POS system | Terminals, card readers, kitchen displays and the software that rings sales and tracks inventory.86 sources, 13 towns | 86 | 13 |
| Utilities and energy supply | PSE&G delivery, and the open market of state-licensed electric and gas suppliers.50 sources, 13 towns | 50 | 13 |
| Category | What it covers | Sources | Towns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial cleaning | Nightly and deep cleaning contractors for restaurants, bars and event spaces.150 sources, 13 towns | 150 | 13 |
| Event security | Uniformed and plainclothes guards for ID checks, the door, crowd control and the floor after last call.44 sources, 13 towns | 44 | 13 |
| Event staffing agency | Employers of record for servers, bartenders, captains and brand staff, carrying the crew's payroll and insurance.150 sources, 13 towns | 150 | 13 |
| Grease trap and hood cleaning | Hood and duct cleaning under the Uniform Fire Code, and grease-trap pumping by A-901 licensed haulers.45 sources, 13 towns | 45 | 13 |
| Parking and valet | Valet operators, garages and lots, and the Jersey City redevelopment plans that set parking limits.49 sources, 13 towns | 49 | 13 |
| Pest control | Commercial pest control firms and the state pesticide licences issued by NJDEP's Bureau of Pesticide Control.50 sources, 13 towns | 50 | 13 |
| Third-party delivery platforms | Marketplace apps that list a restaurant's menu, take the order and dispatch the delivery for a fee.44 sources, 13 towns | 44 | 13 |
| Waste removal and hauling | Commercial carting arranged town by town, and the state A-901 licence every hauler must hold.137 sources, 13 towns | 137 | 13 |
| Category | What it covers | Sources | Towns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and bookkeeping | Bookkeepers for daily transactions and reconciliation, and CPAs for tax filing, advisory and payroll.90 sources, 13 towns | 90 | 13 |
| Commercial real estate broker | Brokers who source, negotiate and close the lease or purchase of a venue's premises.50 sources, 13 towns | 50 | 13 |
| Employment attorney | Outside counsel who sets up compliant pay practices and defends wage, leave and discrimination claims.92 sources, 13 towns | 92 | 13 |
| Insurance | General liability, property, workers compensation and liquor liability for hospitality operators.41 sources, 13 towns | 41 | 13 |
| Lease attorney | Counsel who reads and negotiates a commercial lease before the operator signs it.98 sources, 13 towns | 98 | 13 |
| Payroll service | Payroll providers that withhold and file under New Jersey sick leave, disability and wage rules.47 sources, 13 towns | 47 | 13 |
Sources: graded sources behind each bible. Towns: rows in the bible’s per-municipality matrix, out of 13. Figures as of 24 September 2026.
5
Research log
The New Jersey research as it was committed, newest first.
| Date | Wave | Categories | Bibles after | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 2026 | 5 | 8 | 44 | Licences New Jersey issues and New York does not: elevator inspection, alarm monitoring, cannabis consumption lounge, tobacco and hookah, closing hours and entertainment, business registration and mercantile licence, UEZ certification, commercial real estate broker. |
| 23 Sep 2026 | 4 | 8 | 36 | Trades and ordinances: plumbing, electrical, event permits, event security (SORA), sidewalk cafes, noise ordinance, locksmith licensing, utilities. |
| 23 Sep 2026 | 3 | 8 | 28 | Music licensing, signage permits, parking and valet, payroll, pest control, delivery platforms, alcohol distributors, interior design and millwork. |
| 14 Sep 2026 | 2 | 8 | 20 | General contractor, architect, insurance, broadline distribution, refrigeration, security cameras, linen rental, grease trap and hood cleaning. |
| 14 Sep 2026 | 1 | 12 | 12 | Liquor licence, health department, fire protection, lease and employment attorneys, accounting, kitchen equipment, HVAC, POS, event staffing, commercial cleaning, waste removal. |
| 14 Sep 2026 | frame | The New Jersey reference frame written: ABC licence caps, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 24 food code, municipal zoning, NJ labour law, UEZ sales tax. Corrected twice since against the state's own UEZ list (five zones, then eight). |
6
How each bible is checked
Every New Jersey bible passes the same five stages as the rest of the corpus: discovery, grading, extraction, writing under contract and a mechanical check. The checker fails any bible that breaks the contract, and the full pipeline is drawn on the Technology page.
Grading scores every source on nine lenses: authority, recency, geography (New Jersey), coverage, pricing signal, supplier signal, regulatory signal, operator utility and a composite.