The French Market Expands into Colts Neck
Owner Carli Windsor Gives Details About New Location
Q: What is The French Market’s
specialty?
A: Our main business is the café with our classic
French pastries, crepes, baguettes, etc., but
we also do off-site catering. We cater backyard
events, offering light fare and sharing platters.
Q: Who comprises your clientele
in Rumson?
A: At the Rumson location, we have a strong
and loyal local base, but during the summer, we
have people visiting for the weekend, on their
way to the shore, or just coming to experience a
bit of what they’ve seen on social media or heard
of by word of mouth.
Q: How has your background in-
French Market?
A: I’m from South Africa, but my mom is French,
and I have traveled there throughout my life. My
dad is a wine farmer, and near Cape Town in South Africa, there’s an area
called Franschhoek. It translates as “French corner” and is like a little piece
I was surrounded by the wine farm, so good wine and good cheese were
part of my everyday life. I also did a lot of traveling in France – to Blye, to
Bordeaux and to Paris, of course. Those places instilled a feeling inside of
me. I always say I wanted to create a lifestyle brand, and with this, I just
want people to come and be transported to the places I love.
A:
enjoy. We begin our mornings with fresh croissant sandwiches, Frenchstyle
omelets, and eggs with ham or whatever you choose. Lunch starts
with French baguettes, and we do sandwiches and salads. Ingredients are
very important to us, and our ham is something we pride ourselves on.
Our ham is made in upstate New Jersey by a French chef. He makes mag-
on seeking high-quality ingredients. The ingredients we use in our recipes
and offerings are of a gourmet selection. We’re not a fast sandwich
deli shop. We’re a specialty café, and our food is carefully selected.
-
background?
A: As I mentioned, I strive to communicate an essence or lifestyle
66 OCTOBER 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
not only through the food and music but also
-
arate company called Fleur la Fete. With that, we
do lots of parties and event designs. It’s separate
from The French Market, but it’s also me, so it’s
the same aesthetic. We offer that in Rumson right
now. In Colts Neck, we will have specialty gifts for
sale in our dining room. Many of them come
from France, and I ship them directly here. We
have small gifts, appropriate for a housewarming
or some pampering. There are things like dish
towels, candles, salts and soaps.
Q: Why did you choose Colts Neck
A: I’ve been looking for a good spot, and I thought
there was a need in Colts Neck for a place people
could come and be transformed and transported
to another environment. You come and what you
smell, what you see, what you taste takes you
somewhere else. Here, it would be the south of
France. Driving through Colts Neck and loving the
area, I thought this could be really nice. I would love to have a local spot
where residents can come and sit and enjoy – maybe meet after dropping
their kids off at school or after going to the gym, stop in for a quick coffee.
I want this to be a spot where people can gather, work or relax.
A: The Colts Neck location will have a little bit of a different feel to it,
but it will be the same branding. One thing it will have that Rumson
de Provence frites. We’re also looking to add to our menu specialty herb-
and fruit-inspired sodas. They’ll be visually appealing and will coordinate
with the seasons, so we’re going to have an apple cider one for fall as well
as pomegranate and blood orange. They’ll all be made right here, so I’m
excited for that.
The French Market’s new location is in Colts
Towne Plaza on Route 34 in Colts Neck. The
café and store are set to open this October. For
more information, visit TheFrenchMarketNJ.
com and follow @thefrenchmarket_coltsneck
and @thefrenchmarketrumson on Instagram.
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