Ask anyone in Bergen County what they do on Sundays and you're almost guaranteed that they're not going to respond with 'shopping.' The county's [in]famous blue laws prohibit most retail shops from doing any business on the caboose of the week. Enter the dynamic duo of TopGear Imports and Cars & Caffe to take advantage of the biggest of the vacant lots.
Read MoreMountain Lakes Cars & Coffee Makes a Small, but Mighty Splash into the C&C Pool.
Mountain Lakes is a borough in NJ you've probably never heard of. At 2.9 square miles, it's roughly equivalent to the size of a pinhead when compared to other communities in the area. Last year, a cars and coffee at the local train station was organized to take advantage of the beautiful landscape that the borough is situated in and put Mountain Lakes on the C&C map. This past Sunday, the first gathering of 2017 took place and was a strong proponent of the quality over quantity mantra.
Read MoreBergen County Cars & Caffe Pours an Extra-Large Cup for Its Season Opener.
As the date drew near, initial speculation forecasted around 500 cars would show up for the Bergen County Cars & Caffe Season Opener, held at TopGear Imports. But before the clock struck noon, an estimated 1,500 autos had circumnavigated the industrial park in Saddle River. Despite the massive crowd that came with and for the cars, most people behaved as they should in public.
Read MoreMama Mia! Caffeine & Carburetors Makes It a Memorable Mother's Day.
For 2015, the Caffeine & Carburetors schedule was reduced to just four occurrences, two in the spring and two in the fall, with each season splitting the venue between Pine and Elm streets and Waveny Park. In theory, less gatherings should equal higher quality turnouts and the inaugural event proved positive. Having never been to the park setting, and with the second visit to Waveny not scheduled until October 18, it was pertinent that I did everything in my power to make an appearance. My mission, which I chose to accept, was to somehow peel myself away from the grandeur that is Caffeine & Carburetors and return to New Jersey in time for 11:00 a.m. brunch. Contrary to the popular song, time was not on my side for this Mother's Day observance, held on the beautiful grounds of Waveny Park, in New Canaan. But I was sure willing to bribe it to the best of my ability.
Read MorePower to the Porsches as Paul Miller Delivers Killer Grand Opening C&C.
Before the days of social media, the highest quality advertising was concocted in closed-door boardroom scenarios. It was Mad Men brought to real life, creating content that returned a high ROI for their clients. There were clever clips, memorable catchphrases, and tactful taglines. These days, with Instagrammers and Facebookers the prevalent force at social gatherings, the advertising dollars are best spent elsewhere. If you play your cards right, as Paul Miller did by hosting a Cars & Coffee style event, you can be sure that there will be a colony of eager beavers providing countless images of your unofficial ribbon-cutting, often for little more than a shoutout on their selected social media site.
Read MoreCaffeine & Carburetors Delivers Concours-Quality Panoply of Joy.
Within the first few scenes that is the 2015 Caffeine & Carburetors 4-part season, it was very apparent that somewhere along the way this production has transformed more into a Concours Parade than a traditional C&C. Not that there's anything wrong with that, because I assure you there isn't.
Read MoreSunshine Overshadows Plentiful Picture Taking.
The seesaw struggle continues. The sunnier the day, the less favorable the pictures. This past Sunday's C&C was a sunny, albeit chilly, spring morning. The thermometer walked the straight and narrow along the 37 degree path, never quite wavering to one side or the other. This didn't stop anyone though, as the cars came out in force.
Read MoreDouble-dose of Season Starters Makes for a Funday Sunday.
It's tough to attend all the great events scheduled for the year. Sometimes it's a personal conflict, other times they just overlap. Thankfully, the Bergen County Cars & Caffe and Garden State Euros respective openers worked in harmony with my time, rather than fighting for it.
Read MoreAlligator eyes.
Despite Cold Morning, Cars & Croissants Season Starts off Hot.
If I were to describe the perfect morning to meet up, outside nonetheless, with a bunch of buddies and talk cars, or in my case photograph them, the ideal weather would be 60 degrees and slightly overcast.
Read MoreCars and Croissants cancelled by the cold...and road salt...and snow.
"Cars and Coffee" is a trademarked name, but the idea behind it has spawned numerous variations on the theme throughout the country. The power of the Internet has even spread that popularity throughout the world! There are two main C&Cs in the northern New Jersey region, Cars and Caffe in Bergen County, and Cars and Croissants in the Morris County area.
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