A Beginning in Short Hills
Some stories are just too good not to have a second chapter.
In 1996, husband and wife team John and Mary Marrone took a chance on a forgotten golf course clubhouse in Short Hills, New Jersey. With little restaurant experience, a whole lot of determination, and Johnny's larger than life personality, they transformed the aging building into a neighborhood gathering place.
As Johnny likes to say, "The only thing I knew about restaurants when I first started in this business was how to order off the menu!"
A Name Chosen by the Neighborhood
But here's a little piece of history you might not know.
Johnny's on the Green wasn't always Johnny's on the Green.
The restaurant was originally called Fore Seasons, a clever play on words inspired by its location on a golf course. Unfortunately, the famous Four Seasons restaurant in New York City caught wind of the little establishment in New Jersey and decided the name was a little too close for comfort. A lawsuit followed.
But if you know Johnny and Mary, you know a little obstacle wasn't going to stop them.
Instead of letting it get them down, they threw a renaming party and invited their patrons to help choose a new name.
The overwhelming winner?
Johnny's on the Green.
And just like that, a name chosen by the very people who loved the restaurant became part of its legacy.
Over the next 17 years, Johnny's grew into what locals affectionately called one of Essex County's best kept secrets. It wasn't just a place to eat. It was a place where friendships were made, celebrations were shared, and strangers became regulars.
Johnny had a simple philosophy. If he didn't know your name when you walked in, he would by the time you left. And he'd remember it the next time you came back.
A New Chapter. A New Generation.
For his daughter, Jessica, growing up at Johnny's was more than a childhood spent in a restaurant. It was an education in life. She learned the value of hard work, the importance of community, and the art of making people feel welcome. She watched her parents build something from nothing, not just through good food, but through genuine relationships and the belief that everyone who walked through the door deserved to feel like family.
Those lessons never left her.
After 17 wonderful years, Johnny and Mary closed the doors and retired. It seemed like the end of an era.
But as Frank Sinatra once proved, everyone loves a good comeback.
Nearly 15 years later, the Marrone family has found a new home in Sarasota, Florida. Jessica is all grown up, raising three boys of her own, Charlie, Keegan, and Harrison, and Johnny is ready for his encore.
Welcome to Johnny's on the Green 2.0.
Same Johnny Marrone. Same heart. Same belief that hospitality is about so much more than what's on your plate.
Only this time, we're trading late nights for early mornings, supper club dinners for breakfast and lunch, and bringing a little Southern hospitality into the mix.
Our menu celebrates the flavors of the South, a nod to the place we now proudly call home, with a little Jersey Italian flair. Because, after all, you can take Johnny out of Jersey, but you can't take the Jersey out of Johnny.
And perhaps the sweetest part of this new chapter is that Charlie, Keegan, and Harrison now have the opportunity to experience what their mom did growing up. They will discover the joy of a family business, the friendships that grow around a table, and the importance of being part of a neighborhood and community.
We're not trying to recreate the past. We're carrying forward the things that made it special.
Good food. Familiar faces. A warm welcome. And a place where everyone feels like they belong.
A new chapter. A new generation. And one familiar face who's still got plenty of stories to tell.
Welcome to Johnny's on the Green.