Meet the Merchant: Nick: “My brother and I are identical twins, and we were born in India. We came to America when we were 19, and we’ve run this store together since 2003. We used to work as Financial Advisors at Morgan Stanley in the city. We also own a Subway shop on Journal Square in Jersey City, and it’s amazing how Jersey City has changed and pulled itself up. That could happen here, too.”

Chetan: “This is the county seat, so it’s a great location. There’s a lot of construction on Main Street—so many projects. They’re building an Aldi’s supermarket in the parking lot of Sears. They’re converting the Bank of America building to apartments. The Oritani Club lot is going to be developed.”

Nick: “Our customers come from the surrounding area—a lot of students from Eastwick College. They give our business a big boost. We’d love to be able to put some tables and chairs outside and have an outdoor café on Main Street. I wish we had more parking lots behind the stores, too, so that it was more shopper-friendly. They are going to convert the street from one-way to two-way.”

Chetan: “Our sandwiches are famous. People come at lunchtime from Fort Lee, Englewood, Little Ferry, just for our sandwiches … The best thing about Hackensack is you get to interact with all kinds of people. Not just to buy things but to talk. I really believe in Hackensack.” – Nick and Chetan Pandya