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Tag: Cherry Hill

  • Local Freedom Fuel operators under scrutiny | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Local Freedom Fuel operators under scrutiny | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Hello, Cherry Hill! 👋

    A local developer was slapped with environmental violations to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars over his Freedom Fuel gas stations in the area and other holdings — and a new lawsuit alleges the outposts have been able to sell gas cheaply because some fuel wasn’t paid for.

    Also this week, the popular Asianfresh Food Market in Philadelphia’s Chinatown is taking to Route 70 for its second location, township native Dominic Sessa shares how spending summers working in a bakery down the Shore prepared him to portray Anthony Bourdain in Tony, and nonprofit BookSmiles is expanding into Cherry Hill.

    — Laura Smythe (cherryhill@inquirer.com)

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    Freedom Fuel stations from Cherry Hill developer rack up environmental fines, federal lawsuit

    Before the White House promoted six Freedom Fuel gas stations in South Jersey in July, substantial environmental violations had accrued on the sites, which are operated by Cherry Hill developer Shamikh Kazmi and his brother Syed Kazmi.

    Now, a petroleum distributor is suing Syed Kazmi in his capacity as president of KRSM Inc. The federal lawsuit alleges KRSM has not paid the distributor for $4 million worth of fuel that it allocated across its Freedom Fuel locations.

    The brothers have been involved in at least two other gas station-related lawsuits since 2021.

    Reporters Frank Kummer and Rob Tornoe unpack the new lawsuit’s claims that the gasoline maestros behind the nearby Freedom Fuel locations have been able to sell cheap gas by stiffing their distributor.

    💡 Community News

    đŸ« Schools Briefing

    • The 2026–27 academic year starts today for Cherry Hill Public Schools. The first couple of weeks are short ones, with schools closed Monday for Labor Day.
    • Neil Burti, Mount Laurel’s new superintendent who spent 24 years at Cherry Hill Public Schools, spoke with the Inquirer’s Melanie Burney about why now was the right time to move on from the district where he spent nearly his whole career.
    • Cherry Hill pre-K students are among the pupils most likely to be absent from school, only falling behind high school seniors. 70and73 explains how the district is addressing chronic absenteeism.

    đŸœïž On Our Plate

    • Asianfresh Food Market, the specialty concept known for selling fresh seafood, fruit, and difficult-to-procure Asian imports in Philadelphia’s Chinatown, is expanding to Cherry Hill at 2005 Route 70 East.
    • Juan Cutz, a mixer and baker who previously spent 12 years creating sweet treats at Classic Cake Bakery in Cherry Hill, is now part of the team making tasty indulgences at newly opened Del Buono’s Pastry Shop in Haddon Township. The new shop fills the once-beloved McMillan’s Bakery, which shuttered in May 2025.

    🎳 Things to Do

    ⚟ One Man’s Journey Through The Golden Age of Sports: Author Lenny Wagner dives into his 2024 biography on Walter French, the only athlete to have played for both a World Series-winning baseball team and an NFL championship football team. ⏰ Wednesday, Sept. 2, 7-8 p.m. đŸ’” Free 📍 Cherry Hill Public Library

    🌼 Al Fresco Affair Food Truck Festival: Snack on various types of cuisine while enjoying live music. ⏰ Thursday, Sept. 3, 5:30-8 p.m. đŸ’” Pay as you go 📍 Croft Farm

    đŸš¶ Walk with the Mayor: Get your steps in alongside Mayor David Fleisher and members of town council. ⏰ Wednesday, Sept. 9, 9 a.m. đŸ’” Free, registration required 📍 Cherry Hill Mall

    đŸ—“ïž Looking for more things to do? Check out our guide to ongoing South Jersey events.

    🏡 On the Market

    An open-concept, bi-level home on the West Side

    15 Knollwood Dr., Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

    This four-bedroom, three-bathroom home with solar panels includes a private primary bathroom, an open-concept living and dining area, and an attached one-car garage. Built in 1961, the house boasts modern updates to the bedroom carpets, roof, and water heater. Half a block away, there is a cut-through to the local baseball field and children’s park, and another park sits within walking distance, per the listing agent.

    See more photos of the house here.

    Price: $500,000 | Size: 1,938 SF | Acreage: 0.2

    đŸ—žïž What other Cherry Hill residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • The can’t-miss fall festivals and markets to visit around Philadelphia

    After a summer of nonstop action — the World Cup, Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, the festivities surrounding the nation’s 250th birthday — things have finally calmed a bit in Philadelphia.

    But that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty still to come this fall.

    The area will once again host a variety of festivals and markets in the coming weeks and months, celebrating everything from food to the arts and everything in between.

    Here’s a guide to what’s in store.

    Philly Halal Food Festival

    Now entering its fourth year, the festival celebrates Muslim-owned establishments in and around Philly. Last year’s version featured more than 100 vendors and 6,000 attendees.

    📅 Sept. 19,📍King of Prussia Mall, 160 N. Gulph Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406, 🌐 phillyhalalfoodfest.com

    Scene of the swan boats from the 2023 Delaware River Festival held both in Philadelphia and Camden.Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

    Delaware River Festival

    The event combined two former festivals, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary’s Coast Day and Alliance for Watershed Education’s River Days Festival. Expect lots of family-friendly activities, from ferry rides and pedal boats to crafts and water-related education. Events take place at both Penn’s Landing on the Pennsylvania side of the river, and Wiggins Park on the New Jersey side.

    📅 Sept. 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., đŸ’” ,📍101 N. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106 and 2 Riverside Dr., Camden, N.J. 08103, 🌐 delawareriverfest.org.

    Mt. Airy Arts Festival

    Held at Allens Lane Park, this fourth-annual festival features live performances, food, an art market featuring the work of local vendors — but also the opportunity to make some art yourself, with stations for painting, printmaking, and ceramics.

    📅 Oct. 3, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., đŸ’” Free,📍601 W. Allens Lane, Philadelphia, Pa. 19119, 🌐 allenslane.org.

    First Fridays at Cherry Street Pier

    First Fridays return to the Cherry Street Pier, complete with artist studio tours, markets, and exhibit openings along the Delaware River. Upcoming dates are Aug. 7, Sept. 4, Oct. 2, Nov. 6, and Dec. 4. Events begin at 4 p.m.

    📅 Various dates, đŸ’” Free,📍121 N. Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106, 🌐 cherrystreetpier.com

    St. Nicholas of Tolentine Italian Festival

    Since 1987, St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish has held this annual event dedicated to Italian culture. The day kicks off with a 10:30 a.m. Mass and subsequent neighborhood religious procession, and there’s plenty of live music, Italian food, and family-friendly activities.

    📅 Oct. 4, noon to 8 p.m., đŸ’” ,📍1700 S. 9th St. Philadelphia, Pa. 19148, 🌐 stnicksitalianfestival.com

    OURfest

    This three-day event in and around Philly’s Gayborhood celebrates National Coming Out Day. Things kick off Oct. 9, with a variety of pre-parties and kickoff events. The following day, Oct. 10, is a night of dancing at Voyeur Nightclub, and the festival concludes with a parade on Oct. 11.

    📅 Oct. 9-11, times vary, đŸ’” Prices vary by event,📍Various locations, 🌐 phillygaycalendar.com

    Made in Philadelphia Fall Market

    The fall market this year celebrates its 10th year at Dilworth Park near Philly’s City Hall. Held over three days in October, this pet-friendly event brings a slew of artists and makers together, from jewelry and photography to glassware and woodwork.

    📅 Oct. 9-10 (noon to 8 p.m.) and Oct. 11 (noon to 6 p.m.), đŸ’” Free,📍1 S. 15th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19102, 🌐 madeinphila.com

    Scrapple & Apple Festival

    A day of celebration in honor of one of Pennsylvania’s most iconic foods: the Dutch breakfast meat, scrapple. Reading Terminal Market turns into a scrapple haven, as vendors offer a variety of scrapple-themed items. There’s live entertainment, cooking demonstrations — even a scrapple-sculpting competition (held Oct. 15, the Thursday before the festival).

    📅 Oct. 17, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., đŸ’” Free entry, pay as you go,📍1136 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19107, 🌐 readingterminalmarket.org

    The fifth annual Philly Bike Ride kicks off at the Philadelphia Art Museum on Saturday, Oct. 17.Courtesy of Philly Bike Ride

    Philly Bike Ride

    Now in its fifth year, this annual ride takes cyclists past some of the city’s top landmarks. The 20-mile course is closed to traffic, making it a great event for riders of all ages and experience levels. Afterward, celebrate with food trucks and a beer garden. Registration is required; early-bird prices (through July 12) range from $43 to $200.

    📅 Oct. 17, 7:30 a.m., đŸ’” Prices vary,📍Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., Philadelphia, Pa. 19130, 🌐 phillybikeride.com

    East FallsFest

    There’s live music all day, pumpkin decorating for kids, and a variety of items from local shops, crafters, and artisans. Local vendors will be on hand, with a beer garden from Wissahickon Brewing.

    📅 Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., đŸ’” Free admission,📍Ridge and Midvale Avenues, Philadelphia, Pa. 19129, 🌐 discovereastfalls.org

    Manayunk Fall Festival

    Last year’s inaugural event went so well that organizers are running it back. Main Street will be taken over by local artists and vendors, food trucks, live music, and — ahem — a mac and cheese crawl.

    📅 Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., đŸ’” Free admission,📍Main Street, Manayunk, Philadelphia, Pa., 19127 🌐 manayunk.com

    Philly Coffee Festival

    The 23rd Street Armory hosts this annual celebration of all things coffee. More than 20 roasters have already been lined up (with more expected soon) for this two-day event that also includes food and live music.

    📅 Oct. 17-18, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., đŸ’” Tickets are $25-$73,📍22 S. 23rd St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103, 🌐 phillycoffeefestival.com

    Cherry Hill Harvest Festival

    More than 100 artists, crafters, and vendors are expected at this year’s annual family-friendly festival held at Croft Farm. Mechanical Brewery will have a beer garden, plus there’s free pumpkins, a petting zoo, and live entertainment.

    📅 Oct. 18, noon- 4 p.m., đŸ’” Free entry, pay as you go,📍100 Bortons Mill Rd., Cherry Hill, N.J. 08034, 🌐 chnj.gov

    Community Arts Center Fall Fest

    This free event gives visitors a peek behind the scenes of the Community Arts Center in Wallingford. There’s 30 vendors, plus demos and tours, art activities for children, and a pumpkin-painting contest — plus live music. For a full schedule of the day’s events, check out the Community Arts Center website.

    📅 Oct. 25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., đŸ’” Free admission,📍414 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford, Pa. 19086, 🌐 communityartscenter.org

    Philly Flannel Fest

    The Braid Mill in Germantown hosts this fourth annual fall festival, with food trucks, wine and cocktails, local bands and DJs, and a craft marketplace. Early-bird tickets are available at a steep discount if purchased before Oct. 1.

    📅 Oct. 25, noon-5 p.m., đŸ’” $20 for entry ($12.51 before Oct. 1), pay as you go,📍346 E. Walnut Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19144, 🌐 phillyflannelfest.com

    The first-ever Inquirer Food Festival was held last year at the Fillmore in Fishtown. This marks the event’s second year.

    The Inquirer Food Fest

    The city’s premier food festival returns to the Fillmore this fall, featuring a lengthy lineup of top area restaurants. Sao, Pine Street Grill, and The Bread Room are among the participants already confirmed for this year’s event. There’s also an empanada-making workshop from chef Jezabel Careaga, with music from DJ Na$h, plus the chance to try off-menu dishes.

    📅 Nov. 14, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., đŸ’” Ticket prices vary,📍29 E. Allen St, Philadelphia, Pa. 19123, 🌐 foodfest.inquirer.com

  • Subaru is planning to relocate its Cherry Hill dealership

    Subaru is planning to relocate its Cherry Hill dealership

    In a case of corporate déjà vu, the Subaru of Cherry Hill dealership plans to move from one side of Route 70 to the eastbound side on about 14 vacant acres that held the corporate headquarters of Subaru of America until its 2018 move to Camden.

    The new Subaru dealership, first approved in 2023 by the Cherry Hill Planning Board, now requires amended plans that include site design changes to reflect New Jersey Department of Environment Protection flood hazard regulations. The Cooper River is across Park Boulevard from the property.

    Subaru’s amended application is scheduled to be considered by the board at its Sept. 8 online meeting, which begins with a caucus at 7 p.m. The showroom, service area, and other offices will occupy a 67,035-square-foot building footprint that includes a 21,840-square-foot showroom and 36,350-square-foot service area. Site plans call for 658 parking spaces, of which 454 will be used to store Subaru’s car inventory.

    The five-story, $18-million Subaru corporate headquarters on Route 70 opened in 1986 and was demolished in 2019 after the corporation’s 2018 move to a new $118-million home in Camden.

    The site plan for the new Subaru dealership in Cherry Hill. Route 70 is at top and Park Boulevard at the bottom.Subaru's application to the Cherry Hill Planning Board

    Subaru’s headquarters wasn’t the most famous building to occupy the 2235 Route 70 site.

    The Latin Casino, where some of the most famous entertainers of the day performed, opened there in 1960 and was demolished in the early 1980s.

    Steve Martin, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, Dionne Warwick, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, and Johnny Mathis performed at the 1,500-seat dinner club in Cherry Hill, according to website Concert Archives. Rhythm and blues singer Jackie Wilson in 1975 was performing on stage when he had a massive heart attack that left him in and out of comas until his death in 1984.

    The Subaru dealership plans originally were approved by the Planning Board in 2023. Star Real Estate of Cherry Hill II LLC, the developer at the time, assigned its approvals to Subaru of America Inc. and Subaru Insurance Agency Inc., which are now developing the site, according to the township. The current dealership is at 1800 Route 70 westbound.

    An operations statement from the developer says the site will have about 35 employees in the sales area and about 45 employees in the parts and service area, according to township records.

    Test drives would turn right onto Park Boulevard, turn right at the Audi dealership, and left at the light onto Route 70, according to the application. Drivers would go to the Wawa in Pennsauken and turn around and come back on Route 70.

    Landscaping at the new dealership will be designed by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and will be consistent with Subaru branding and similar to the Camden headquarters, according to the dealer’s application.

    70and73.com is a hyperlocal news site focused on South Jersey, including the communities of Cherry Hill, Evesham, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Medford, Medford Lakes, and Moorestown.

  • Asianfresh Food Market is expanding from Chinatown to Cherry Hill

    Asianfresh Food Market is expanding from Chinatown to Cherry Hill

    Chinatown’s popular Asianfresh Food Market is bringing its fresh produce, seafood, and hard-to-find Asian imports to Cherry Hill.

    The specialty market is preparing to open its second location at 2005 Route 70 East, less than two miles away from the newly renovated H Mart.

    Like its two-story flagship on 10th Street between Race and Cherry Streets in Philadelphia, the new store will be stocked with specialty products and seasonal items imported from across Asia.

    Asianfresh Food Market will be holding a grand opening for the new store on Sept. 12 at 11 a.m., said spokesperson Karen Louie. The details for the event are still being finalized, Louie said, but they are planning to have giveaways, contests, and more to celebrate the store’s opening.

    Throughout the summer, the grocer has been posting periodic updates on social media showing stocked shelves and full seafood tanks as they prepare for visitors.

    By late last week, the exterior Asianfresh sign was up on the building and rows of branded shopping carts were lined up and waiting for shoppers. A flier indicating that the store is hiring for all departments was taped to the front doors, the view inside blocked by brown construction paper.

    Shopping carts are lined up outside of Asianfresh Food Market’s new location in Cherry Hill on Aug. 28, 2026.Lacey Latch

    The Asianfresh expansion comes not long after the Korean grocery store H Mart reopened in June following extensive upgrades, including a new food court, bakery, and beauty shop.

    The efforts by both international grocery stores to enhance their offerings in South Jersey reflects the growing demand for these products in the area and nationwide.

    The number of Asian residents in Cherry Hill Township grew by 32% between 2014 and 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

    The township’s population was in line with national trends as Asian Americans remain the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the U.S.

    The openings also come at a time when Asian grocery staples like ghee, miso, chili oils, and more are becoming increasingly popular with non-Asian shoppers.

    Sales from the “Asian/ethnic aisle” commonly found in American grocery stores jumped almost four times more than overall sales between April 2023 and April 2024, according to the New York Times, citing data from market research company Circana.

  • The Jersey Shore bakery that helped Dominic Sessa transform into Anthony Bourdain

    The Jersey Shore bakery that helped Dominic Sessa transform into Anthony Bourdain

    Before he played Anthony Bourdain in the coming-of-age biopic Tony, Dominic Sessa’s first brush with fame was as an Ocean City, N.J., doughnut guy.

    Tony, which opened in theaters nationwide last Friday, is an origin story. It depicts Bourdain decades before he would become the executive chef of French brasserie Les Halles and eventually a prolific travel journalist, best known for shows like A Cook’s Tour, No Reservations, and Parts Unknown.

    Dominic Sessa (left) as Anthony Bourdain with Leo Woodall as a renegade cook in “Tony.”A24

    In the film, Sessa portrays a 19-year-old Bourdain in the summer of 1973, when he found himself in Provincetown, Mass., desperate to get his would-be wife, Nancy Putkoski (Emilia Jones), to fall in love with him after losing out on a writing fellowship. A tough-yet-kind chef (Anthony Banderas) gives Bourdain a job as a dishwasher at the Flagship, a no-nonsense seafood shack where Bourdain grows from bumbling dishwasher into something resembling a cook.

    The film draws heavily on chapters of Bourdain’s best-selling memoir Kitchen Confidential, in which Bourdain romanticized a crew of talented, if aimless, line cooks and their exploits.

    “They drank everything in sight, stole whatever wasn’t nailed down, and screwed their way through floor staff, bar customers, and casual visitors like nothing I’d ever seen or imagined,” Bourdain wrote with palpable admiration.

    It’s a feeling that Sessa, 23, knows well.

    From New Jersey to Massachusetts, ‘Tony’ explores Anthony Bourdain’s parts unknown — and makes up a few

    Born in Cherry Hill, Sessa grew up in Egg Harbor Township and Ocean City, where he spent four summers working in the kitchen at Cathy’s 14th Street Bakery, a pink-and-white storefront that serves thousands of doughnuts a week.

    When Sessa started as a dishwasher there in 2016, he was 13. By the time he worked his last shift in 2019, he had worked his way up to full-fledged baker, responsible for opening the shop and preparing batches of Cathy’s famous powdered and cream-filled doughnuts from scratch.

    “I’ve hired a lot of great kids, but there are some who don’t get it,” said Cathy Greene, the bakery’s owner. Sessa “was really a natural.”

    Cathy Greene, owner of Cathy’s 14th Street Bakery in Ocean City, N.J., fills a box with doughnuts for a customer on Aug. 13, 2026. Former Cathy’s dishwasher and junior baker Dominic Sessa plays Anthony Bourdain in the new A24 biopic “Tony.”Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer

    Sessa doesn’t remember taking to it so easily. And yet, like Bourdain, he kept coming back.

    “When I first started there, it was miserable — especially at that age, waking up super-early and making batches of dough. I was just lazy and didn’t feel like finding another job,” Sessa told The Inquirer. “But every summer I’d come back and Cathy would teach me something new 
 The experience was one of the things that taught me how to work hard.”

    Tyler Greene, Cathy’s son, flips doughnuts in a deep fryer at Cathy’s 14th Street Bakery in Ocean City, N.J., on Aug. 13, 2026. Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer

    Doughnut summers

    Admittedly, frying doughnuts at a family-run bakery did not entirely prep Sessa for the fictional kitchen he’d step into as a teenage Bourdain. In Tony, the Flagship is full of cocaine, dirty jokes, and smashed dishes. Cathy’s, by contrast, was basically Disney World.

    Still, Sessa said the job helped him understand what motivates chefs to endure grueling hours and nonstop kitchen injuries. Like Bourdain, the actor was a self-styled troublemaker, nearly getting kicked out of his South Jersey high school before earning a hockey scholarship to Massachusetts’ prestigious Deerfield Academy, where he would eventually be discovered by director Alexander Payne and land his breakout role as a boarding school kid in 2023 Christmas comedy The Holdovers.

    Cathy’s kept him disciplined.

    Sessa used to clock in at the bakery at 4:30 a.m. to prep the day’s first doughnuts, rolling out and aerating one batch of dough while minding another batch as it proofed. In between, he’d fry up a third.

    Tyler Greene rolls out the dough for donuts at Cathy’s 14th Street Bakery in Ocean City, N.J., on Aug. 13, 2026. Former Cathy’s dishwasher and junior baker Dominic Sessa plays Anthony Bourdain in the new A24 biopic “Tony.”Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer
    A variety of doughnuts are for sale at Cathy’s 14th Street Bakery in Ocean City, N.J., on Aug. 13, 2026. Former Cathy’s dishwasher and junior baker Dominic Sessa plays Anthony Bourdain in the new A24 biopic “Tony.”Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer

    At its busiest, Greene said, Cathy’s sells between 1,200 and 1,400 doughnuts a day. Sessa drew on the rush — and the high stakes — while acting in Tony.

    “I related to the integrity working in a kitchen demands,” he said. “If I didn’t show up on time, everything would be messed up, and everyone would know it was [because of] me.” Plus, there was “something so gratifying” about placing doughnuts in the display case and watching customers snap them up.

    Antonio Banderas (left) as a chef-mentor with Dominic Sessa as Anthony Bourdain in “Tony.”A24

    Greene said Sessa shined when it came to the rhythm of baking and could manage the flow of the station about as well as she could. When they’d roll out dough side by side, Greene would quiz him on three-digit by three-digit multiplication. Sessa, she said, always answered correctly “off the top of his head.”

    “He was a real smart kid,” Greene said.

    Things didn’t always run smoothly. Once, Sessa recalled, he nearly ruined the bakery’s trash cans by throwing out a batch of dough with too much yeast in it. He had gotten away with the mistake — until the dough proceeded to nearly quintuple in size. “It was billowing out of the cans, on the ground, seeping into the kitchen,” said Greene. “It was pretty funny.”

    The stress of the job didn’t detract from Sessa’s favorite part: small-town notoriety.

    Passersby love to peer into Cathy’s kitchen from the street. “Kids were always interested in watching the guy who rolls the doughnuts out,” Sessa said. “It made me feel like a celebrity.”

    The outside of Cathy’s 14th Street Bakery in Ocean City, N.J., on Aug. 13, 2026. Former Cathy’s dishwasher and junior baker Dominic Sessa plays Anthony Bourdain in the new A24 biopic “Tony.”Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer

    Drinking on the beach and baking hungover

    As much as Tony spins a hero’s journey for a young Bourdain (who ends the movie — spoiler — by enrolling in culinary school), it also foreshadows his struggle with substance use.

    Dominic Sessa as Anthony Bourdain in “Tony.”A24

    Bourdain, who died from suicide in 2018 at 61, had spoken candidly about his addiction to heroin and cocaine before getting sober in the 1980s. In Tony, we see the fledging chef try cocaine for the first time at his dishwashing station at Flagship with Sal (Leo Woodhall), a hard-partying coworker who relishes in showing Bourdain his favorite vices.

    Sessa’s Ocean City summers followed a similar pattern. Before The Holdovers, the actor was crossing the causeway to buy booze at Circle Liquors in Somers Point.

    “All of my friends were doing the same thing” as Bourdain in Tony, Sessa said. “We would just work so we could get paid enough to buy alcohol, drink on the beach all night, go into work hungover, sleep it off after our shift, and do it all over again the next day.”

    “We were all under 18 so we felt invincible,” Sessa said. ”It was paradise.”

    Cathy Greene, owner of Cathy’s 14th Street Bakery in Ocean City, N.J., fills a box with donuts for a customer, on Aug. 13, 2026. Former Cathy’s dishwasher and junior baker Dominic Sessa plays Anthony Bourdain in the new A24 biopic “Tony.”Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer

    Antics aside, Greene is proud of the role her bakery played in helping Sessa get into character (even if she hasn’t seen Tony yet). She just isn’t sure about cashing in on his star power. “I don’t want to be the one who is like, ‘Oh, I had Dominic Sessa here,’” Greene said. “But it’s pretty cool.”

  • Cherry Hill district’s pre-K students are absent from school almost as much as seniors

    Cherry Hill district’s pre-K students are absent from school almost as much as seniors

    Getting all prekindergarten students to consistently attend school has proven to be a challenge as the Cherry Hill district rapidly expands its program for early learners.

    Absenteeism rates among the district’s pre-K students is second only to Cherry Hill high school seniors, the grade with the highest chronic absenteeism rate, according to state data. The district’s experience is similar to other districts rolling out pre-K programs with state funding, which reaches $1.4 billion in the latest budget.

    “Unfortunately, I have to say that preschool had one of the highest rates of chronic absenteeism,” Farrah Mahan, assistant superintendent for pre-K to grade 12 and curriculum, told school board members at this week’s meeting. She explained some tactics being used to combat high absenteeism.

    The chronic absenteeism rate, a widely used measure in education, shows the percentage of students absent 10% or more days in the school year.

    In Cherry Hill public schools in 2024-25, the latest year available, the rate for Cherry Hill pre-K students was 23.5% compared with a statewide average of 29.9%, according to the New Jersey Education Department School Performance Reports.

    Overall, the district’s rate was 14%, slightly less than the state average of 14.4%. However, 25.8% of all high school seniors were chronically absent — more than the statewide average of 21%.

    The district’s preschool social workers and other staff members have been working with parents to get the youngest children to attend school, Mahan said.

    “They’ve really been acting almost as like a social service agency, which is really sometimes what our families need, making sure that they are connected to the appropriate resources that are available in the community to ensure that their child is able to get to school on a daily basis,” she told board members.

    Sometimes it is as simple as greeting students at the bus or as they’re exiting the family car in the morning or providing extra attention during the school day, she said.

    “But we’ve also had some tough conversations like, this really matters,” Mahan said. “When you were in a private preschool location, maybe it was OK to take a vacation that second week, because it was more convenient and a little bit cheaper for families. But really expect your preschooler, if they’re enrolled in the program, to be in school.”

    She said the focus has resulted in reducing the chronic absenteeism rates among the preschoolers.

    Mahan joked that when schools open on Wednesday she looks forward to welcoming the Class of 2041.

    Pre-K enrollment has increased sharply in Cherry Hill and some other districts as former Gov. Phil Murphy and Gov. Mikie Sherrill have supported free and expanded access to early childhood education.

    Cherry Hill and other districts have had to rely heavily on private providers to help take on the growing enrollment as parents shift from privately paid to publicly funded preschool. The district has two district preschool locations and uses nine private providers.

    With its expansion to 11 sites last year, the district was able to clear the initial wait list, Mahan said. All 559 students who applied for a pre-K seat were accepted, so the district opened up the list to additional families. A total of 93 applied and the district could offer spots for 34.

    In the new school year, nearly 900 preschoolers have been offered spots. The total will include 740 general education seats, 55 preschool inclusion seats, and 96 disabled student seats, Mahan said.

    The district’s program has grown from 17 classrooms after preschool expansion was announced in 2023 to 53 classrooms in the 2026-27 school year.

    Mahan said the goal is to eventually expand to a projected 1,700 seats — more than a 90% increase over this coming year’s group. She said 110 classrooms will be needed to accommodate the enrollment.

    The district’s private providers for the new school year are Adventure Kids, Cadence Academy, Discovery Corner, Goddard School, KinderCare, Lightbridge Academy. Primrose School, Chesterbrook Academy of Voorhees, Mosaic Early Learning of Oakland. The two in-district locations are at Kilmer Elementary School and the Malberg Early Childhood Center.

    “Children who participate in early childhood education programs generally enter kindergarten with stronger foundational skills,” Mahan told the board. “The research in early childhood education states that early learning environments foster essential language skills, early literacy, and basic math concepts,” she said.

    Supervision of curriculum and teaching at all 11 locations is important to the preschool program, she explained.

    “It is imperative that we have consistency across all of our locations. So when we speak about our preschool private provider locations and our in-district locations, we talk about consistency across all of our guidelines, our curriculum,” Mahan said.

    70and73.com is a hyperlocal news site focused on South Jersey, including the communities of Cherry Hill, Evesham, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Medford, Medford Lakes, and Moorestown.

  • South Jersey Freedom Fuel stations racked up big fines before being promoted by White House

    South Jersey Freedom Fuel stations racked up big fines before being promoted by White House

    Six South Jersey gas stations that the White House promoted in July, touting below-market fuel prices, have racked up environmental violations with the state dating back to 2023.

    The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued close to $430,000 in fines in May to operators who run 17 gas stations, including the six Freedom Fuel locations, for the violations accrued over the years, according to an administrative order first reported by Politico and obtained by The Inquirer. The fines were issued before these stations rebranded to Freedom Fuel.

    The Freedom Fuel stations, which made their debut this summer, accrued more than $202,000 in fines, according to department records. All 17 stations are owned by asset manager Blue Owl Capital and operated by Cherry Hill developer Shamikh Kazmi and his brother Syed Kazmi.

    Blue Owl and the Kazmi brothers could not be reached for comment.

    The owner-operators have requested a hearing, according to DEP spokesperson Larry Hajna, but no date had been set as of Wednesday.

    The violations include failing to properly register underground storage tanks, failing to provide overfill prevention for some tanks, failing to cut and cap lines that lead to out-of-service tank systems, and violating delivery bans.

    A Freedom Fuel location at 6801 Tilton Rd. in Egg Harbor was issued a fine of $50,000, the maximum penalty for the violation. The location received four deliveries in November 2023, despite having been banned from doing so because it did not properly register its storage tank.

    In its justification for the fine, the department described the operator’s actions as a “deliberate and knowing act,” noting it was a major violation.

    The Kazmi brothers have been embroiled in at least two lawsuits related to previous gas station ventures, including a 2021 trademark dispute with BP American Inc. and BP Products North America Inc. Additionally, Petroleum Marketing Group Inc., a fuel distribution company, accused the brothers of stealing thousands of gallons of gas from the company.

    City won’t shut down Philly Freedom Fuel station

    The Freedom Fuel station on Bustleton Ave. in Philadelphia.Dana Munro / staff

    The Freedom Fuel Network expanded to 29 locations earlier this month, but one Philly station was nearly shut down by the city.

    The network’s Bustleton Avenue station — also linked to the Kazmi brothers — failed a license renewal inspection at the end of July that could have forced its closure. But the owners remedied the issue and can continue to operate the station, according to a city spokesperson.

    More than two months after having been loudly promoted by the White House and President Donald Trump, Freedom Fuel’s owners have remained silent about their discount gas operation.

    Baltimore Ravens assistant coach Randy Brown and former commodities trader Yoni Gontownik signed the company’s certificate of formation in Delaware and have not spoken publicly about the highly touted enterprise.

    Freedom Fuel launched with prices 40 to 50 cents a gallon cheaper than nearby stations, frustrating competitors and confusing experts who follow the notoriously low-margin business.

    “With every new site, we’re driving down gas prices at the pump for more communities,” reads a message on the network’s website.

    In recent weeks, prices across Freedom Fuel locations have risen closer to other discount locations.

    Take the location on Dreshertown Road in Upper Dublin Township, which was promoted in a video shared by the White House. When it launched at the beginning of July, the station sold gas for $3.47 a gallon — a nod to Trump being the 47th president. But as of Tuesday, the station was selling gas for $3.89 a gallon, about a dime cheaper than a nearby Citgo station and slightly more than Sam’s Club, according to gas-tracking website GasBuddy.

    The average cost of a gallon of gas in Philadelphia on Tuesday was $4.15, according to AAA. That was up more than 28% from this time last year, when the cost averaged $3.23.

  • South Jersey gets its cream doughnut fix again as Del Buono’s Pastry Shop opens in former McMillan’s Bakery

    South Jersey gets its cream doughnut fix again as Del Buono’s Pastry Shop opens in former McMillan’s Bakery

    Del Buono’s Pastry Shop on Haddon Avenue is open for business.

    The Haddon Township pastry shop at the former family-run McMillan’s Bakery opened its doors for a soft launch Tuesday, giving customers the first peek in since McMillan’s shut down in May 2025 after building a loyal following over eight decades in business.

    The opening comes as renovations, which took the bakery down to the studs and expanded the space after its 86-year legacy, wrap up.

    Other than a few final finishing touches to the space, “what’s really left to do is to bake,” said Robin Lange, the shop’s social media director.

    Trays of donuts at Del Buono’s Pastry Shop on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, in Haddon Township.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The shop’s most popular items, which include cream doughnuts reminiscent of the ones McMillan’s once sold, pizzelles, biscottis, and more, are already for sale, according to Lange.

    But no one seems to know the place is open yet, owner Tom Whitman said. His daughter was the first customer.

    The grand opening is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, coinciding with the township’s music festival on the same street.

    Owner Tom Whitman poses for a portrait in the kitchen at Del Buono’s Pastry Shop on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, in Haddon Township.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Whitman and his 30 employees will give out 1,000 free cream doughnuts, swag, and a chance to win a cake by Al DiBartolo, the South Jersey baker and Food Network alum working at the pastry shop.

    DiBartolo’s Kakery, which sells custom and ready-made cakes and baked goods, takes up half the 2,000-square-foot bakery in what was once McMillan’s storage closet. By 10 a.m. on Tuesday, DiBartolo had fully stocked his two display cases after baking late into the night and early in the morning. He eventually plans to host monthly themed cake decorating classes there.

    Al DiBartolo speaks with a reporter at Del Buono’s Pastry Shop on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, in Haddon Township.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    DiBartolo flipped through an old notepad featuring decades of his family’s recipes, as employees worked on a cannoli filling created by his uncle. He showed off the original McMillan’s ovens, which Whitman had refurbished rather than replaced.

    “You’re really getting authentic, old-school baking in here,” DiBartolo said. “But with a modern twist.”

    The DiBartolo family recipe book at Del Buono’s Pastry Shop on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, in Haddon Township.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Del Buono’s Pastry Shop is the latest in a series of food destinations Whitman, 63, has developed over the years. Whitman, once a Domino’s Pizza franchisee, owns 100-year-old Del Buono’s Bakery in Haddon Heights and all three Carmen’s Deli locations in South Jersey. He purchased the shop for $500,000 last September and said he has since spent millions in renovations. Two apartments Whitman is building over the shop, which he said could rent for more than $3,000 a month, are still in progress and don’t have confirmed tenants.

    The new pastry shop will have specialty coffee in addition to doughnuts, pastries and other desserts, all made in house, and Whitman said he hopes to sell products made there at his other stores.

    While bread and rolls and a few other items will be sourced from Del Buono’s Bakery, Whitman is carrying on McMillan’s legacy in other ways.

    Doug Biemiller, a grandson of McMillan’s founders George and Evelyn McMillan, has returned to the new building as a Del Buono’s employee.

    Two more McMillan’s alumni sped around the kitchen Tuesday afternoon, maneuvering around sheet pan racks and icing doughnuts. Both said their current work isn’t much different from their time at the now-closed bakery.

    Juan Cutz works on a batch of donuts at Del Buono’s Pastry Shop on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, in Haddon Township.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Juan Cutz, a mixer and baker, worked at McMillan’s for two years after 12 years at Classic Cake Bakery in Cherry Hill. He said he does pretty much everything but decorate, and he hasn’t changed his technique since working for McMillan’s.

    “It’s the same,” Cutz said.

    Longtime McMillan’s Bakery employee Ed Skotnicki stands in the kitchen at Del Buono’s Pastry Shop on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, in Haddon Township.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Ed Skotnicki, 73, worked at McMillan’s for 53 years. He now plans to help out at Del Buono’s for at least a few months as the pastry shop gets settled.

    ”The only reason I’m here is to see this place come back to life,” Skotnicki said.

  • Township native stars as Bourdain | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Township native stars as Bourdain | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Hello, Cherry Hill! 👋

    It’s nice to see you again. Up-and-coming township native Dominic Sessa is portraying a young Anthony Bourdain in a newly released biopic.

    Also making headlines this week is the new state law banning the use of cell phones during the school day, a new food access program that buses Camden residents to Cherry Hill grocery stores, and disputed claims regarding the local Dick’s Sporting Goods’ outpost’s LeBron James jerseys.

    And as always: If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    — Laura Smythe (cherryhill@inquirer.com)

    Cherry Hill native plays Anthony Bourdain in new Tony biopic

    Cherry Hill native Dominic Sessa returns to the silver screen in Tony, where he plays a 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain, years before he became an acclaimed chef, writer, and television personality.

    If you don’t recognize Sessa’s name from his Critics’ Choice Award-winning breakout role as a troubled prep school student in the 2023 comedic drama The Holdovers, perhaps you do from his ranking as one of Cherry Hill’s most-searched Wikipedia celebrities.

    In Tony, Sessa nails a young Bourdain’s “fascination with people who seem more authentic than he feels,” Inquirer food reporter Michael Klein writes in his review of the film, which was widely released last weekend.

    Check out the full article for a complete breakdown of Sessa’s latest performance, which taps into the “seductive outlaw kitchen culture” of “drugs, sex, appetite, [and] danger” that pulled in the culinary icon.

    💡 Community News

    • A new food access program spearheaded by a South Jersey pastor is transporting residents from the food desert of Camden to Cherry Hill, where they can better source fresh, affordable, and healthy food.
    • B Positive Plasma, a plasma donation center network that started in Cherry Hill and now operates a dozen locations across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, is on track to see a record year as area residents sell their blood plasma to try to make ends meet.
    • After a Cherry Hill resident’s dog got into a quarrel with a rabid skunk earlier this month, Camden County officials are advising residents to avoid direct contact with wildlife and other unfamiliar animals and to make sure pets are up to date on vaccinations.
    • A store manager of Cherry Hill’s Dick’s Sporting Goods disputed reports that the chain was placing official LeBron James Sixers jerseys behind the counter because of theft. 
    • Cherry Hill resident Megan Paier, a volunteer docent at the Philadelphia Zoo, helped bring viral French musician Plumes to serenade the site’s tortoises by DMing him on social media.
    • Meet Armand Perez, 70, who has served as caretaker at the quirky South Jersey children’s “oasis” Soupy Island for nearly three decades while simultaneously clocking 24 years at Cherry Hill Volvo.
    • Cherry Hill Mall owner Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust is selling another of its greater Philadelphia holdings, Willow Grove Park Mall, to a partnership of New York firms. The pending deal is among the latest shakeups to the region’s 17 malls amid the retail sector’s 21st-century evolution.
    • As the global outdoor TV market steadily grows, Soccer Post Cherry Hill event manager Zach Kades shared his tips for selecting the right gear to get in on the trend.

    đŸ« Schools Briefing

    • New Jersey’s nearly 600 public schools will implement a cell phone-free policy under a new state law this school year. Many will be catching up to Cherry Hill Public Schools, which voluntarily enacted its own cell phone ban two years ago — though this month, the district will vote on whether to amend its existing policy. Here’s what could change.
    • The 2026–27 academic year begins next Wednesday.

    đŸœïž On our Plate

    • Cherry Hill remains a stalwart in local Jewish deli culture as another traditional Jewish delicatessen shutters in Philadelphia, The Inquirer’s Michael Klein notes.
    • Zushi Dozo has some of the best omakase in the state, according to a recent ranking from BestofNJ.com. While the East Marlton Pike eatery doesn’t offer traditional omakase, the outlet lauds its platter selections, including nigiri offerings.

    🎳 Things to Do

    đŸŽ¶ Twilight Concert Series: The final concert of the season features the South Jersey Pops Orchestra. ⏰ Thursday, Aug. 27, 8 p.m. đŸ’” Free 📍 Cooper River Park Jack Curtis Stadium

    đŸ›Œ Endless Summer Glow Skate: This skate night is glow-themed. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 28, 6:30-9:30 p.m. đŸ’” $14 admission 📍 Hot Wheelz

    🍿 Night at the Museum: The library’s outdoor movie night features a screening of the 2006 Ben Stiller fantasy film. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 28, 7:30-10 p.m. (rain date: Aug. 29) đŸ’” Free 📍 Friendship Grove at the Cherry Hill Public Library

    🏡 On the Market

    An airy abode with a wine lover’s fridge

    214 State St. in Cherry Hill, New Jersey features an open-concept layout.

    This three-bedroom, three-full-bathroom house built in 1925 features an open-concept layout with oak flooring, a walk-in pantry with a dual-zone wine fridge, and a back deck. The Barlow neighborhood home, which is under contract, also includes a finished basement.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $569,000 | Size: 3,519 SF | Acreage: 0.13

    đŸ—žïž What other Cherry Hill residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • N.J. students will have to put down their cell phones this fall under new state law

    N.J. students will have to put down their cell phones this fall under new state law

    New Jersey students are going back to school with a new phone-free routine in September.

    Starting on the first day of classes, all K-12 students in public schools must power off and put away phones and most internet-enabled devices before the bell rings, with only a few exceptions.

    The new policy — signed into law in January by former Gov. Phil Murphy — puts New Jersey among a growing number of states including New York and Maryland that have passed measures to crack down on students using cell phones during the school day. (Pennsylvania has not passed a state law, though Gov. Josh Shapiro has signaled his support for such a policy and some districts have independently banned the devices in their schools.)

    Heartily endorsed by educators who believe it will ease classroom distractions, promote academic performance, and improve student mental health, New Jersey’s new rule marks a big change for students accustomed to having their cellphones and other devices nearby and checking them regularly — even during class.

    Some districts, such as Cherry Hill and Woodbury, have voluntarily implemented cell phone bans. Woodbury Superintendent Andrew Bell said most students embraced the restrictions and spend more time interacting with each other during breaks.

    “At this point, it’s simply part of our culture and daily routine,” Bell said of the cell-free policy, passed two years ago.

    The state left it to local school boards to determine how to implement the law at a district level, while complying with the guidelines. Because policies may vary, parents and students should check with their local district.

    Lockable pouches keep kids off phones during class, but don’t improve test scores, study finds

    Here’s what you need to know.

    How are districts implementing the policy?

    The law requires the state’s nearly 600 public school districts to adopt a policy banning the use of cell phones and other personal devices for the entire school day. The law allows some flexibility on enforcement and how the devices are stored.

    The state Department of Education issued guidelines this summer to help district set local policies. Some districts including Cherry Hill in Camden County and Washington Township in Gloucester County this month are voting on amending existing policies.

    Districts had to decide whether students would be required to store their phones in their lockers or bins, in locked pouches, or in their backpacks with their personal belongings. The devices must be powered off.

    The guidelines apply to all internet-enabled devices, typically smartphones, smartwatches, smart glasses, and ear buds, or any device that can access online content.

    Some districts have also included other communication devices like flip phones, two-way radios, and walkie-talkies. Some rules may vary, for age appropriateness, depending on grade level, too.

    What is bell-to-bell?

    Cherry Hill school board member Bridget Palmer explained the restriction this way at a recent board meeting: “The minute you walk in to the meeting, you leave.”

    The law restricts students from using their phones during lunch and study hall periods.

    Districts get to decide whether phones can be used before and after school on school grounds, on school buses, and during school-sponsored events, such as athletic events and extracurricular activities.

    “We’re not going to tell kids they can’t use their phones when they’re at Disney,” Washington Township Superintendent Eric Hibbs said at a board meeting. “We couldn’t enforce it anyway.”

    Districts must also provide parameters for how and when parents can contact their children during an emergency. Hibbs said Washington Township will have phones available in every office that a student can use, and is developing a way for parents to contact their child on a district-issued device.

    “A true emergency — all of this goes away,” Hibbs said. “No child will ever get in trouble for calling 911 for reporting an emergency.”

    Where will the phones be stored?

    The law lets the districts decide where the phones will be stored during the school day. The state provided some funding for districts to purchase locked Yondr pouches. Others are designating lockers or bins.

    Lianah Carruolo, 12, a seventh-grade student, unlocks her cell phone pouch outside the junior high entrance to Woodbury Junior/Senior High School on Friday, Sept 20, 2024. Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    Cherry Hill’s amended policy would allow students to keep their phone in their personal belongings. It must be turned off, not just on vibrate or silent.

    “We prefer that you don’t bring it to school, but if you bring it to school, it has to be off and in your backpack or your locker for the duration of the day,” Palmer said.

    In Camden, the district’s new “off and away” policy says phones should be off and out of sight. They are permitted at a teacher’s discretion for instructional purposes. After a first offense, the phone will be confiscated and returned to the student at the end of the day; for subsequent offenses, the phone will be returned to a parent or guardian.

    In Washington Township, pre-K to fifth graders must store their phones in their backpacks, sixth to eighth graders must store theirs in their lockers, while high schoolers will be allowed to keep theirs in their backpacks.

    Hibbs said few high school students use their lockers so it was decided to allow them to keep their phones in their personal property. With about 2,100 students, the high school is among the largest in South Jersey.

    Are there any exceptions to the law?

    The law mandates exemptions for students with a disability or an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan that stipulates the need for an internet-enabled device.

    The exemptions include students with a health plan, such as students with diabetes who need their phone to check glucose levels.

    There are also exemptions for students who use the cell phone for translation, or are the primary caregiver responsible for the well-being of a family member.

    School policies must also outline procedures for mobile devices that will be implemented in the event of an emergency, such as a lockdown.

    In the event of a family emergency, parents should contact the school office, and not the student directly, according to the guidelines.

    How will violations be handled?

    Districts are posting the new policy on district and school websites, in newsletters, and on social media sites to inform parents and students about the changes. They may also review it at back-to-school-nights, orientations, and training sessions for staff.

    The disciplinary action may vary, depending on the district, and typically begins with a warning that could escalate with additional violations. Districts must specify how a phone may be confiscated.

    Washington Township’s policy calls for progressive discipline, based on grade level. Administrators, not teachers, will be responsible for confiscating a phone if warranted.

    There are 10 possible “consequences” for high school students beginning with an administrative warning for the first two violations, Hibbs said.

    For additional violations, students will get a lunch detention and have their phone confiscated for three to four infractions, Hibbs said. Sanctions for additional violations include requiring a student to store the phone in a locker or main office, a two-day internal suspension, and a mandatory parental meeting.

    “It’s going to be a very big change, but we’re going to navigate it,” Hibbs told the board.