The Mooby’s pop up fast food restaurant is officially open for business, offering some of the favorite bites from the fictional restaurant in Kevin Smith’s many films. Those lucky enough to snag reservation tickets for day one were greeted with the man himself, Jersey local Kevin Smith, as well as some of other familiar faces.
Jason Mewes and Brian O’Halloran were also at the grand opening event to meet with the fans and offer support to the restaurant’s opening. Gianni’s Pizzeria of Red Bank gladly offered to convert its popular pizzeria into a Mooby’s pop up fast food joint, complete with employees sporting the familiar uniforms from the movies.
Fast food with vegan options
As for the event itself, Smith, Mewes, and O’Halloran took photos with patrons and fans who were all there. The weather was pleasant, offering the perfect conditions for ticket holders to enjoy their fast food purchases. After a health scare a couple of years ago when Smith suffered from a massive heart attack, he decided to change his lifestyle by going to a plant based diet.
While you can enjoy popular fast food bites from Mooby’s, like its Cow Tipper (burger) and Hater Totz (tater tots), there are plant based alternatives as well — such as the Lasagna Sandwich REBOOT and Beyond Burger Cow Tipper. It’s something that delights Smith, who is thrilled that he can eat at his own joint. After selling out reservations a few weeks even before the store’s opening, there are now additional available reservations that you can grab to guarantee yourself a taste of this limited time menu.
Living a healthier lifestyle
Smith spoke with us about living a healthier lifestyle and some of the challenges that come with it. For anyone who has gone through their own transformation, they certainly can relate to Smith’s sentiments. “The harder aspect of losing weight honestly I think is probably the psychological aspect,” Smith explained about his ongoing commitment to living the healthier lifestyle.
The harder aspect of losing weight honestly I think is probably the psychological aspect.
– Kevin Smith
He frequently commits to fasting as another way to maintain his lifestyle, but as he says himself, “do independent research” on your own to see what’s best for you. Every morning, he goes on a hike up through Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles — 2 miles in total. Staying on a routine requires commitment, which can be tough for some people. However, Smith is clearly grateful about the whole transformation. “Look I’m gonna die one day, I just don’t want to die in my forties,” Smith jokingly said. “And that’s over now I’m in my fifties. I don’t want to die in my 50s either, I want to stick around as long as I can.”
Favorite spots to visit in Red Bank
Calling the Jersey Shore his home, Smith was born in Red Bank and lived in Highlands growing up. Many of his films feature locales throughout the greater Monmouth County area, Red Bank included. Even though he now lives in Los Angeles, Smith tells us some of his favorite spots to visit in Red Bank.
You’ll be surprised by some of the stuff he mentions in our video above, but it’s no surprise that he enjoys Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, which was also the location where AMC’s Comic Book Men was recorded during its run from 2012 to 2018. In addition to the Stash, Smith recalls the Charles Schwab offices and Jack’s Music Shop when we asked him about some places to visit and check out while in town.
