Lauren Rivera 
Hudson County locals love nothing more than a new dining spot to add to their must-try list of places. And now, food enthusiasts can look try out a fresh addition to the Jersey City restaurant scene. Mark Censits, founder and president of CoolVines, an alcoholic beverage company with locations all over Jersey City, shared exclusively with The Hoboken Girl in November 2024 that Maxwell Alley, a farm-to-table restaurant, has taken over the former Gringo’s space at 12 Coles Street in Jersey City. The new spot officially opened at the beginning of June, and we’re sharing all of the details from our recent visit. Read on for more about Maxwell Alley in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The Details
CoolVines‘ founder and president, Mark Censits, shared exclusively with The Hoboken Girl all the details about Maxwell Alley, a new restaurant that has taken over 12 Coles Street in Jersey City, back in November 2024. Maxwell Alley officially opened on June 3rd, 2025.
The name “Maxwell Alley” pays homage to the one-block-long alley where this restaurant is located. This alley was named after Maxwell Rope Walk, a nineteenth-century nautical rope company that made waves during New Jersey’s industrial era. The historic building where the restaurant operates was originally an auto filling and repair station, and the team behind Maxwell Alley has revamped the space into a modern farm-to-table restaurant.
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The new dining spot serves everything under the sun, from a menu of world-class food to full bar services six days a week to weekend brunch. As an additional feature, Jersey City locals can indulge in the innovative coffee creations of Butler Café, which operates inside Maxwell Alley during weekday morning hours. Coffee lovers can also find Butler Café inside the CoolVines Powerhouse and outside the CoolVines Grove Street location.
Mark told HG that Maxwell Alley “[serves] [as] the neighborhood as a regular go-to, whether for a casual weeknight meal, a drink and snack at the bar, or a very special night out with your favorite people.”
Behind Maxwell Alley
Behind Maxwell Alley will be a team of renowned chefs, including Chef Alex Tronstad, who previously led the kitchen at Rivertown Lodge. At this Hudson, NY-based restaurant, Chef Tronstad worked alongside Esquire’s Rising Star Chef of the Year and James Beard-nominated Chef Efren Hernandez.
Matt Colvin, who has over 15 years of experience crafting high-concept cocktail menus and has been featured in The Times Union, Punch, and Imbibe, has also joined the team. In addition, Margie Sobotor, who has extensive hospitality experience in the NYC restaurant scene, serves as Maxwell Alley’s general manager. With such an impressive staff, Maxwell Alley hopes to “elevate the epicurean experience available in Jersey City to the level of our neighboring city across the river,” according to a statement.
“Matt Colvin joined me in 2014 when CoolVines opened in Jersey City,” Mark said. “Within a year, this store became the highest performing store in the CoolVines franchise, in large part due to Matt’s leadership in our spirits and beer departments, and later as general manager. Bringing him back, along with his partner Margie, who contributes a decade of fast-paced hospitality experience to our team’s skill set, established a core team that I knew would be successful. When they told me that they had a relationship with Alex, whose food I had enjoyed multiple times at Rivertown Lodge, I was thrilled to invite her onto the team as well. It is uncanny how aligned we are on our vision and ethos for Maxwell Alley!”
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