Escaping the gates of Seton Hall by strolling down South Orange Avenue is a common theme among Seton Hall students. You hope that as the heavy gate slams behind you, so does the stress, crammed dorms, and caf food. It’s already dark outside as I trek in the cold down South Orange Avenue. Jackie and Son, which is relatively new in South Orange, has the lights off and the chairs stacked, The Village Trat, a favorite among Seton Hall students is its usual amount of busy, the screeching of a train pulling into the station fills the air. As I walk under the train tracks, past Tito’s Burritos and Bunny’s, I am faced with a new member of the Avenue. It is a white building with a black sign hanging in the front reading, “The Order.”
Inside feels like I entered somebody’s home. White tiles with black accents, brown wooden stools, and green plants tying it all together. As I look around, I see two young adults and an older woman sitting at the two round tables that are pushed together so four people can sit. They’re sipping coffee from a to-go cup as they talk.
A Family Affair
As I walk to the register, Sheldon and Samantha Pinto, a brother and sister duo, stand up from the table to greet me. Their mother, Wilma Pinto, motions me over to sit next to her. All three are wearing the uniform shirt, a black t-shirt with “The Order” written in white letters across the front (A fun fact about the restaurant name: it was named after Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. “HBO had a marathon on one day and that one came on and I was like ‘The Order! That’s it!’,” Samantha said.) On the back are the words, “Don’t be depresso, have some espresso.”
“We have been planning this place for two years,” said Samantha Pinto, a self-proclaimed “foodie” and co-owner of The Order with her brother, Sheldon.
Samantha and Sheldon are two siblings in their twenties; Samantha is a Rutgers, political science graduate and Sheldon is an NJIT mechanical engineering graduate.
The two work together with the help of their father, Ronald, who recently retired from his job at the United Nations. Through his many work-related travels, Ronald has collected recipes that The Order is adopting into their menu, which changes every-so-often to include new items.
How its started
But, before The Order became what it is, the Pinto family started in the catering industry. Most clients were friends from the Goa Association, a group that brings together members of the Goa, India, community, where the Pinto family is from.
Now, The Order includes those same traditional recipes on their menus. Although Sheldon says he wants to be known as more than just a coffee place, his sister brags about his ability to make a really good, creative cup of coffee; Sheldon’s favorite being “a classic cappuccino.”
Prior to The Order opening, back when the owners were spending their days constructing and designing the restaurant to what is now, they had to eat at places that are now their competition; As Sheldon recalls, “out of survival.”
Their way to stand out from the other places is simple, “it feels like you’re home,” Samantha said. She added, “Our food is fresh, and our Indian dishes are even different than other Indian places.”
Their mom, Wilma chimed in to mention her favorite meal on the menu, falafel, which she mentioned is prepared differently than most places. “It is vegan and gluten free,” Samantha said.
The Order began serving falafel after customers were asking for it due to the business that previously occupied the building, Falafel-ly Yours.
“I liked that the atmosphere was cute and cozy,” said Zoe Krey a senior History major at Seton Hall.
Seton Hall
For many students, a cheap cup of coffee from Dunkin’ does the trick but for those looking to have a homemade, handcrafted beverage, The Order offers a 10 percent student discount on for students who show their ID.
The Order also allows organizations to rent rooms for meetings, events, or talks for organizations along with hosting fundraisers with various SHU clubs.
Unfortunately, however, the skull cups, which quickly became due to chatter and sharing of the photo from SHU students, were only seasonal.
“We’re looking for Santa cups.” Sheldon said with a laugh. “We’re skipping right over Thanksgiving,” added Samantha.