GARDEN STATE LEADERS IN BUSINESS, CULTURE, AND THE ARTS SHARE TREASURED HOLIDAY TRADITIONS, ULTIMATE WINTER WONDERLAND ESCAPES, AND GOALS THEY ACHIEVED THIS YEAR
BY ZACHARY WEG, JACKLYN PELLEGRINO, AND AMANDA McCOY PHOTOS BY TOM ZAPCIC
Scott Udell
Vice President, London Jewelers / londonjewelers.com
Only two years shy of its centennial anniversary, London Jewelers is one of the country’s longest-running independent luxury jewelry and timepiece retailers, with more than a dozen high-end showrooms throughout the tri-state area. The London brand has a prominent presence in the New Jersey luxury shopping scene, recently opening an expansive 5,000-square-foot namesake store in the prestigious Mall at Short Hills, alongside its Rolex, Van Cleef Arpels, and Panerai boutiques. But despite massive growth and nearly a century of history, the London name is still very much a family affair, helmed by the Udells. Today, fourth generation co-owner Scott Udell serves as executive vice president, though his experience began decades prior.
“From the beginning, I knew the jewelry business was in my blood,” noted Udell. “After school, I would go into the shop and learn everything from how to clean fingerprints off the display cases to diamond grading and watch repairs.”
As VP of a boutique, family-owned business, Udell is involved in several aspects of the operation, from building and maintaining client relationships to gemstone sourcing and ring design. For Udell, the latter is a special point of pride. “I love getting the opportunity to design engagement rings,” he noted. “It’s an especially time-consuming process, but it’s so rewarding. It’s meaningful to be in the business of making people happy, and having a hand in celebrating their most joyous occasions.”
WHAT IS ONE GOAL YOU ACHIEVED IN 2024?
One of the goals that I have achieved this year is to continue to grow myself, my family, and my business. We are starting significant expansion and remodel plans in our flagship location. We will continue to raise the bar in high-end retail and hospitality. We strive to provide our clients with the best products and a luxury experience like no other with a family touch to it. We know our clients and make them feel at home!
WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED HOLIDAY TRADITION?
Being able to wake up on Christmas Eve day and make the rounds to all of our stores with my family to give praise and gratitude to all our different teams. We toast with the staff and celebrate what is hopefully another successful holiday season. The following morning, I love thinking about the people opening London boxes that we are making happy.
WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE WINTER WONDERLAND VACATION DESTINATION?
Either Miami or St. Barts. I’m not a cold-weather guy so the tropics are where I like to get away once the holidays are over.
Dennis Tafuri
Partner, Great Restaurants NJ Hospitality Group greatrestaurantsnj.com
Dennis Tafuri was 22 years old when he met his two future business partners, Robert Kash and Joseph Mosco, proprietors of the hospitality group Great Restaurants NJ. At the time, he was working as the general manager of Kash and Mosco’s Metropolitan Café in Freehold, eventually joining the group as a partner. Today, the Great Restaurants NJ portfolio spans seven dining concepts across the state: Rosalita’s in Brick and Englishtown, Nonna’s in Englishtown, Tre in Brick and Freehold, The Standard at The American Hotel in Freehold, and Metropolitan Café.
“All of our restaurants celebrate life’s everyday moments, whether that be a job promotion or your kid’s win in a high school baseball game,” Tafuri said. “Or perhaps it’s a Tuesday night and you simply don’t feel like cooking.”
When launching a new restaurant, the partners handle every aspect of the process, from lease negotiations to menu design and décor selection. When deciding on a genre or style of cuisine to serve, they do reconnaissance in the area to determine what it’s missing, drawing on their own life experiences to design the concept. “When we opened Rosalita’s in 2013, my wife had just had our daughter so our kids were young, and we were looking for family-friendly places to enjoy a meal,” he said. “Our concepts have always reflected our phases of life, with a firm focus on hospitality.”
WHAT IS ONE GOAL YOU ACHIEVED IN 2024?
My goals were (and always are) to take steps to improve the restaurant, myself, and the guest experience.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED HOLIDAY TRADITION?
My favorite holiday tradition is Thanksgiving. I love that it’s not an overly commercialized holiday; it’s not about running to the store to find gifts, it’s all about family and friends coming together over a meal, which is what I love about this business. It’s about sharing stories and laughs and having a good time while enjoying great food.
WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE WINTER WONDERLAND VACATION DESTINATION?
I’m a big snowboarder, so we go out west. My favorite place is north Lake Tahoe. I love Tahoe – you get the mountains and the lake. It’s one of my favorite places on earth.
Linda Brock
Co-Owner, Brock Farms / brockfarms.com
Alongside her brother and father, Linda Brock co-steers Brock farms, a longstanding familyowned plant nursery and garden center with locations in Freehold and Colts Neck. The farm’s roots date back to founder Ed Brock Sr.’s childhood (he picked and sold blueberries at a humble roadside stand as a boy), and he later instilled his love of horticulture in his children. He opened his first location along Route 34 in Colts Neck, eventually expanding to Freehold in 1958. Today, both locations offer a sweeping range of nursery plants, perennials, annuals, and houseplants, plus accoutrements like bird feeders, water features, garden décor, and even aquatic plants and koi fish for ponds.
Brock lives and breathes by her green thumb, and she is eager to share her expertise with experienced and novice gardeners alike.
“I am here seven days a week,” said Brock, noting she’s often up before the sunrise to start her day. With the holidays approaching, her team is busy preparing plant and tree arrangements for the season. “Every year, we feature a 40,000-square-foot Christmas store. My mother started the tradition back in 1968, and I’m thrilled to continue it today all these years later.”
WHAT IS ONE GOAL YOU ACHIEVED IN 2024?
There are always so many goals to reach! Now, the goal is to get ready for the Christmas season. You just keep going, and then every time you reach the goal, somebody moves the goal post (laughs).
WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED HOLIDAY TRADITION?
We have quite a time with family on Christmas Day because we actually have the day off, and it’s peaceful. We’re with family seven days a week, but we’re all usually running in different directions.
WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE WINTER WONDERLAND VACATION DESTINATION?
Aruba – it’s my favorite place in the world.
Josh Juliano
Partner/Director of Operations, Little Buca / littlebuca.com
He might be young, but Josh Juliano has already built an impressive career. As a partner and the director of operations at Little Buca in Little Silver, Juliano ensures everything is always running smoothly inside the restaurant. Translating to “Little Hole” in Italian, Little Buca is a two-year-old intimate Italian eatery that already feels like a local mainstay. Diners are treated to a soul-warming blend of Italian staples like eggplant rollatini and classic chicken parm alongside creative plates of linguine alle vongole and snapper acqua pazza.
A significant contributor to Little Buca’s early success is Juliano’s sharp attention to detail. “I make sure everyone’s taken care of every night, that every table is touched, and that I’m personally offering the specials to everyone,” Juliano said. “That’s one thing we pride ourselves on: the scene and service we provide. We’re here to be the ultimate hosts for our guests; it’s our job to make sure they feel welcomed and have a truly memorable experience.”
WHAT IS ONE GOAL YOU ACHIEVED IN 2024?
I would say branding myself and the restaurant. People come in and remember their experience; it’s not just another place. I pride myself on that.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED HOLIDAY TRADITION?
Getting the entire family together on Christmas Day. Even though it usually doesn’t fall on a Sunday, we make Sunday sauce on Christmas Day because it’s the ultimate comfort meal. You have the meatballs, the sausage, and the braciole that’s been cooking all morning. When you wake up, you immediately smell it.
WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE WINTER WONDERLAND VACATION DESTINATION?
This is going to sound really cliché but I would have to say New York City. The Rockefeller Tree, the lights, the snow falling – it’s everything you could want in a winter wonderland.
Danielle M. Lozito, Esq.
Real Estate Attorney, Lozito Law, LLC / lozitolaw.com
As the principal of Lozito Law, Danielle Lozito oversees countless real estate transactions in the Garden State. A real estate attorney with over two decades of experience, Lozito has both the acuity and kindness necessary in simplifying the oft-complex world of legal real estate.
The business, after all, is in Lozito’s blood. “My father was an avid real estate investor who had also constructed several custom homes in both Central Jersey and the Florida Keys,” she said. “When I started my own practice, it felt like a natural progression. I always knew that I wanted to go into one of the guiding, helping professions, whether that be law or medicine, and in the end, real estate law ultimately felt like where I should be.”
For the self-described people person, real estate law offers far more than negotiating closings and deals; it’s an opportunity to guide clients through an often exciting, yet complicated, process. For her, the challenge is invigorating. “I love meeting with new clients and taking on a fresh set of circumstances,” she added.
WHAT IS ONE GOAL YOU ACHIEVED IN 2024?
I put more focus on strengthening professional relationships and connecting with colleagues. I’m currently working on a project designed to educate and bring visibility to my professional connections in a very positive way, which will be rolled out in 2025.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED HOLIDAY TRADITION?
Since the age of 26, I’ve always hosted Christmas Day, and while the visits to NYC, Rockefeller Center, holiday shows, and Bryant Park with my friends and family are certainly treasured traditions, I have to say that the planning, preparation, setting up, and hosting of Christmas Day dinner is definitely something I treasure and truly enjoy doing for everyone that attends. Cooking for and feeding people is my love language, and spending time in the kitchen is literally therapeutic to me. There have been years where the holiday falls such that I wind up working on Christmas Eve and am completely flying by the seat of my pants right up to the last minute, but no matter what I’ve always pulled it off, even if it means getting hardly any sleep. My hope is that I pass on to my daughters the importance of hosting a beautiful and traditional holiday dinner for their families going forward and that bringing everyone together to spend time making memories is irreplaceable.
WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE WINTER WONDERLAND VACATION DESTINATION?
A Christmas market tour through Germany, Austria, and Hungary. I didn’t get to do it this year but maybe next! Instead, my daughters and I are kicking off the holidays and changing things up this year by spending Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico.
Peg Reynolds
Owner, Reynolds Garden and Florist / reynoldsgardenshop.com
Reynolds Garden and Florist first launched in 1981 as a small roadside stand at owner Peg Reynold’s parents’ golf range. Today, the Bay Avenue emporium has grown into a full-service operation, spanning a garden center, greenhouses, multiple shops, and a café. Reynolds offers a sweeping variety of outdoor and indoor services such as garden layout, plant selection, landscape and architecture design, custom gourmet gift baskets, and even a daily delivery service in the floral department. The center is fully family owned and operated, with a different family member in charge of buying for each department.
Reynolds noted she prioritizes selecting plants that are native to the region. “Our focus includes a wide variety of salt-and drought-tolerant plants, which thrive in our unique environment,” she said. “We partner with the top growers in the state to ensure we receive weekly deliveries of perennials, trees, shrubs, and annuals. But our love for travel also inspires us as we explore shopping and dining in different cultures. We always bring back our favorite finds and incorporate those elements into our business.”
The center offers immersive experiences, as well, including a variety of workshops as well as a monthly floral class. Reynolds also occasionally collaborates with local artists to offer classes in painting, stained glass, jewelry making, and more. Reynolds noted that when customers visit the shop, they are always greeted with a smile and welcomed into a space of inspiration and relaxation. “Many people refer to Reynolds Garden and Florist as their happy place, which is incredibly fulfilling.”
WHAT IS ONE GOAL YOU ACHIEVED IN 2024?
In 2024, we proudly opened our newest shop in the village, called The Vault. Our primary goal was to create a space for pricing, storage, and most importantly, parking. However, this shop has exceeded our expectations by allowing us to significantly expand our home décor offerings. We now feature a wide selection of custom rugs, lighting, art, and furniture, enhancing the overall shopping experience for our customers.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED HOLIDAY TRADITION?
One of our most treasured holiday traditions is having Santa make a special stop at Grammy’s house on Christmas Eve. We gather for a wonderful dinner, filled with laughter and joy, as we watch the kids open their presents. The magic of Christmas truly comes to life as we step into the house that night, with smiles all around and stories being shared. If one of the grandkids happens to receive a microphone, you can bet there will be some dancing, adding to the festive spirit!
WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE WINTER WONDERLAND VACATION DESTINATION?
It would have to be a cozy cabin in the mountains, surrounded by snow-covered trees and a breathtaking landscape. I envision days spent skiing or snowboarding with my kids and grandkids, followed by a delicious home-cooked meal, where we all gather around the table to tell stories of the adventures of the day. The charm of a small nearby town, complete with festive lights and holiday markets, would make it the perfect winter escape.