The opening of the “Xfinity Store” in Brick Plaza, Sept. 2025. (Photo: Comcast)
Brick Township’s planning board has approved a plan proposed by Comcast to take over the former Friendly’s restaurant building on Brick Boulevard to turn it into an unmanned switching station and backup facility as the company plans to expand its network with direct fiber optic connections. Meanwhile, the company celebrated the opening of its third retail outlet in Ocean County this week, located in Brick Plaza.
The planning board approved the company’s plan to convert the former restaurant – also known as “Shut Up and Eat” and “Come 2 Mamas” after Friendly’s left the site – to host backup generators and other equipment to support the company’s presence in Brick. Comcast also received approval to install catwalks, landscaping, lighting, and security fencing on the grounds of the site. The roof will also be reconstructed.
Under the plan, Comcast would move most of its operations to the Friendly’s building, and use of the former customer service building next door at 741 Brick Boulevard is “anticipated to be eliminated.” Representatives from the company said it will allow them to “upgrade the telecommunications services to continue to provide reliable and state-of-the-art services to Brick Township residents.”
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The former Brick Friendly’s restaurant at 741 Brick Boulevard. (Credit: Real Estate Listing)
Comcast, like most cable providers, is pivoting toward the deployment of ultra high-speed wired fiber optic services to homes and businesses, as well as wire products, as a means to compete against wireless-only providers. It is believed that, in time, those services will supplant the current system in which video, telephony and internet data are segmented within frequency ranges. The new lines are designed purely to carry data at high speeds, a product industry officials say is in higher demand than legacy video delivery platforms.
With many local Comcast customers having lamented the fact that the former customer service building closed, the company responded by opening a new retail store in Brick Plaza. Though the store held a soft launch over the summer, it formally celebrated its grand opening this week. The store is aimed at promoting the company’s “Xfinity” and “NOW” product lines in what it described as an “interactive environment.”
The store is located next to the Hand and Stone location in the shopping center, at 56 Chambers Bridge Road.
The opening of the “Xfinity Store” in Brick Plaza, Sept. 2025. (Photo: Comcast)
The opening of the “Xfinity Store” in Brick Plaza, Sept. 2025. (Photo: Comcast)
“The Brick Township Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome Xfinity to Brick Plaza, right in the heart of our community,” said Danielle Kidney, Executive Director, Brick Township Chamber of Commerce. “This new storefront brings added convenience and services to our community, while further strengthening the diverse business landscape that makes Brick such a vibrant place to live, work and shop. We congratulate Xfinity on their opening and look forward to supporting their success as a valued member of our Chamber and community.”
Comcast announced during the grand opening event that it will donate $5,000 to Jersey Shore Animal Center in Brick. Comcast employees recently donated homemade pet toys to Jersey Shore Animal Center as part of the company’s year-round volunteer program.
The opening of the “Xfinity Store” in Brick Plaza, Sept. 2025. (Photo: Comcast)
Comcast operates two other brick-and-mortar retail stores in Ocean County – one on Hooper Avenue in Toms River and another on Martin Truex Boulevard in Stafford Township.
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