HADDON TOWNSHIP, N.J. — For more than a decade, 29 Haddon Avenue has served as a safe haven and culinary hub for South Jersey's plant-forward and gluten-free dining community. Now, an era along the Westmont corridor is drawing to a close. Goodbeet, the beloved dining spot founded by owner Ashley Coyne, will officially shutter its physical storefront on October 31, 2026.
The closure marks the end of nearly 11 years of brick-and-mortar operations in Camden County, concluding a chapter that began under the name Heart Beet Kitchen before evolving into one of the region's premier allergen-friendly dining destinations.
The Factors Behind the Decision
The difficult choice to wind down the storefront was not driven by a lack of community devotion, but by a compounding storm of operational pressures facing independent restaurant owners.
According to Coyne, the ongoing struggle to secure and maintain back-of-house kitchen staff reached a tipping point this autumn. The situation escalated during a single critical week when unexpected employee injuries left the kitchen severely understaffed, making regular day-to-day culinary operations untenable. Coupled with unrelenting operational overhead—from ingredient costs to utility spikes—and broader post-pandemic shifts in casual dining habits, continuing full dine-in service in the brick-and-mortar format was no longer sustainable.
Final Service Timeline Through October 31
Goodbeet has phased out operations to give longtime regulars a chance to say their goodbyes:
- Full Kitchen Service: Dine-in meals and hot kitchen orders concluded in mid-October.
- Grab-and-Go Service (Through Oct. 31, 2026): The storefront remains open daily through the end of the month, offering specialty coffees, fresh smoothies, scratch-made baked goods, and pre-packaged meals from the grab-and-go coolers.
Patrons are encouraged to stop by before October 31 to pick up their favorite treats, stock their freezers, and wish the staff well.
A Trailblazer for Gluten-Free Dining in South Jersey
Coyne first conceived the restaurant concept at age 26 after being laid off from a corporate role, seeking to build an inclusive space for diners with strict dietary needs and food allergies. Launching in 2015 as Heart Beet Kitchen, the restaurant quickly garnered regional acclaim—and national recognition—for its strictly gluten-free, dairy-free, and plant-centric menu. Items like the coconut-bacon BLT, house-made burgers on allergen-safe nut breads, and decadent bakery sweets became signature draws across the Delaware Valley.
In 2021, the brand unified under the name goodbeet. Over the years, Coyne navigated several expansions and contractions, running satellite spots in Bordentown, Ocean City, and Cherry Hill before consolidating resources back at the Haddon Township flagship. In late 2025, the brand broadened its plant-forward approach to include select ethically sourced animal proteins, such as pasture-raised chicken and wild-caught salmon, catering to diverse household dietary preferences.
What’s Next: Wholesale, Bottled Goods, and Online Delivery
While the Westmont dining room powers down its lights, the Goodbeet brand isn't disappearing. Coyne is restructuring the enterprise into a focused direct-to-consumer and wholesale model.
The next iteration of Goodbeet will specialize in:
- Bottled Sauces & Dressings: Small-batch, clean-ingredient dressings and signature sauces packaged for retail.
- Plant-Based Proteins: Packaged vegan meatballs, patties, and signature meat alternatives.
- Prepared Meal Prep: Curated meal kits, soups, and ready-to-heat entrees available for local pickup and regional delivery.
- Wholesale Distribution & Pop-ups: Supplying specialty grocers, coffee shops, and hosting mobile pop-up events throughout the Philadelphia and South Jersey area.
For South Jersey residents who have relied on Goodbeet’s allergen-safe kitchen over the past decade, the transition offers a bittersweet farewell to a familiar neighborhood storefront—and the beginning of an accessible new chapter for its flagship recipes.
Share This Article on Social Media