Park Avenue Consignment, David Butler Also To Be Honored

Frank Blanche will be recognized as the Washington Business Improvement Districts’t Business Person of the Year and Lost Ladies Grill will be honored as the Business of the Year at this year’s Washington BID’s Business Recognition Dinner on Thursday Feb. 6 at Hawk Pointe Golf  Club. 

At the dinner Park Avenue Consignment will be cited with the Redevelopment Award. Owner Paige Charette and her husband Thomas redesigned a former dry cleaners business into a high end clothing and accessory shop in the Downtown. Also, volunteer David Butler is being named the Community Partner of the Year.  Advance tickets for the event can be purchased at washingtonbid.org or call the WBID office, 908-689-4800. Reservations must be made by Jan. 20.

Frank Blanche is the Go-To Sign Guy.

Ask Frank Blanche how many signs he has made in his 37 years of business and he shakes his head, “Oh my, several thousands. It’s been remarkable and it’s never ending.”

Blanche, whose shop is located at 14 W. Washington Avenue (Route 57), has truly been a staple in the Borough. 

His work can be seen all over Washington Borough, as well as surrounding communities and beyond, for that matter. Among his jobs over the years, Blanche has completed various commercial projects, storefront signs, window and truck lettering, and displays for trade shows.

“It’s like the Ghostbusters,” said Melanie Thiel, Executive Director of the WBID. “You need a sign? Who you gonna call? Frank Blanche, that’s who! Frank is truly deserving of the Business Person of the Year award. It’s a recognition long overdue.”

Blanche has called his business home Washington Borough from the start. Initially his shop, no longer there, was behind what is now the Midtown apartments. Eventually he moved his business to The Boulevard where it remained for about 15 years. He’s been at his present location also for about 15 years.

“Since I was a little kid I loved billboards,” said Blanche, referring to where his interest in art first came from. After high school he attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh with the intent of becoming a commercial artist. “About 2 and ½ years in a teacher told me that that kind of work wouldn’t be in as much in demand (in the future).” Still, Blanche graduated with high hopes and got a job with Roche where he worked for two years.

A chance meeting changed the trajectorially of his future. “I met Jack Popovich, a longtime sign painter from Hackettstown, and we got to be friends,” said Blanche. “We started talking about the sign business and he invited me to his home where his shop was. I felt I was good at hand lettering. He told me that I had a real knack for that.”

Popovich used Blanche for several projects because of his expertise in hand lettering skills. Finally Blanche decided to start his own business. 

“I went to Irvington (to a supply shop) and bought 22 cans of color enamels and other supplies,” he recalled. “Slowly but gradually I got jobs. Then in the late 80s I got a call from someone at Allied Merchandising and they wanted to know if I hand painted signs. That was such a boost. I was getting 40-50 faxes a week to do signs. I was pulling all nighters and getting several checks a week. It was like Christmas every day. That really helped bankroll the start of my business. I was able to leave Roche.”

These days hand lettering is only perhaps 10 percent of Blanche’s business. He noted that 90 percent of his jobs are done on a computer.> “There’s no way you can make a living on just hand lettering now,” Blanche said. “It’s just too time consuming.”

Blanche continues to get plenty of work. He is clearly the go-to guy in the region.

“Over the years I’ve made a lot of connections,” said Blanche. “I’ve met a lot of really cool people, a lot of nice ones.”

Some connections have come out of the blue. A number of years ago he was hired by Mark Madoff, son of the infamous Bernie Madoff, who asked him to do some trade show work for Abel Reel Company.

“A friend of mine who I had done work for, Mike, knew Mark,” said Blanche. “Mark asked him who did the work and then he called me.” Sadly, Mark Madoff, perhaps depressed about his father’s plight, committed suicide in 2010.

“I’ve got a lot of stories,” said Blanche.

He’ll have another story to tell when he’s honored as the WBID Business Person of the Year.

Don’t be fooled by the word Lost as in Lost Ladies Grill.

Cynthia “Cindy” Steinmetz and Diana Tamburro have been anything but lost these past 20 years. 

They’ve been right here in Washington Borough all along, serving breakfast and lunch, home baked goods and their out of this world soups.

The “Lost Ladies” will be retiring soon, but before they go the WBID will be paying tribute to the ladies as its Business of the Year. 

“Lost Ladies Grill has been a fixture in the Downtown for two decades,” said Thiel. “We are so excited to recognize the Ladies as  the Business of the Year. Lost Ladies truly deserves the honor.” 

The two began their journey together in 1989 while working at McDonalds in Hackettstown as part of the early morning Opening Crew. The early mornings started at 5 a.m.

They became close friends and after much discussion decided to buy a hot dog cart and set up a regular business by the Tri-County Firehouse on Route 57 in Mansfield Township. “It was a great spot,” said Tamburro. “Cars could get in and out easy.”

Eventually the weather conditions got to both of them. “We wanted four walls and a thermostat,” Tamburro laughed. “Outside we were either sweating or freezing.”

So while selling hot dogs, the two planned out their future business plans.

“We were on the side of the road planning this out,” Steinmetz said. “We started from scratch. We came up with a business plan. We went to the SBA (Small Business Association) in Newark and learned how to make it work.” Once they had their business plan in place they approached Fulton Bank for a loan, which they received.

The ladies, both of whom live in Oxford, agreed that Washington Borough would be a good place to open up their new venture. Jim Sheldon was the Executive Director of the still fairly new Washington Business Improvement District. With Sheldon’s help they secured a spot in Downtown.

The first 10 years they were in a different location before moving to their present location at 41 E. Washington Avenue (Route 57) for the next 10.

Throughout the years Lost Ladies’ cozy and friendly service has been a constant, with its Elvis, Disney and beach atmosphere adding to the ambiance of the restaurant.  

“We have been fortunate,” summed up Steinmetz. “Our daughters grew up together. We’ve travelled together.”

The “Lost Ladies” have been in business altogether for 24 years. Not all partnerships are that lucky to withstand the test of time. But Cindy and Diana have done so, and the Washington community has been the better for it.

The event is sponsored by Fliegauf Jewelers, Good Impressions Print Communications, Michael F. Yates & Company, David Santini, CPA, and law firm Broscious, Fischer and Zaiter.