Little Red Store In Middletown Closes, Owners Announce New Venture

MIDDLETOWN, NJ - Big Mike’s Little Red Store in Middletown has permanently closed its doors, according to an Aug. 15 social media post.

The eatery, which offered signature sandwiches and pop-up dinner menus, lasted for five years on Navesink Avenue.

The location’s “chef-driven deli” menu offerings included breakfast, salads, craft sandwiches with a twist. “The Poppa” sandwich was notably featured on NJ.com’s 2023 ranking of the state’s greatest sandwiches.

But while one door closes, another one opens for the team behind Big Mike’s Little Red Store, as its owner Mike Metzner announced a brand-new eatery, Saltwater Social Bar and Kitchen, at 128 Bay Ave. in Highlands.

The site of the new location has remained vacant for several years, serving last as the watering hole Twin Light Taphouse before it closed in 2012.

Saltwater Social Bar and Kitchen is set to open this fall.

“This new venture is not just a restaurant; it’s an expansion to a bigger and better way to serve our cherished customers and community,” Metzner said in a social media post. “We are committed to preserving our local roots, and it’s why the Saltwater Social Bar and Kitchen will find its home in another historic location, still deeply connected to the heart of our community.”