Exploring An Abandoned Wedding Venue
Pantagis Renaissance (Snuffys) in New Jersey operated for almost 50 years before closing in late 2020. Today, it sits abandoned by a busy highway. This was one of the more unique explores I’ve done. The abandoned building was covered in beautiful stained glass and detailed wordwork. The rest of the decor seemed like it was a bit dated, but was still an impressive venue (and really could have been great with some updated decor).
*Update* As of January 2024, the building has been demolished. I only hope they saved all the beautiful stained glass. The site will be used for a new Lidl supermarket. Read more about the updates here.
Snuffy’s rich history dates back to the 1930s. It was started by William Robertson who operated speakeasies in Mountainside, Garwood and Scotch Plains, New Jersey, during the Prohibition Era. He retired and sold the restaurant in 1972.
“In November 1971, Snuffy’s “Red Carpet Plan” offered a five-course dinner, a four-tier, 30 lb. wedding cake, a bottle of Canadian or Scotch Whiskey for every 10 persons and a Manhattan or Martini for just $6.25 per person. Snuffy’s became a popular destination for weddings, proms, birthdays, graduations, and anniversary parties, and fundraising dinners for countless non-profit organizations” (source) until its closure in October of 2020, due to owing $531,035 in back property taxes for all of 2019 three quarters of 2020. You can still visit their old Facebook page for historical photos and more.
