Doherty Enterprises

Allendale
Edward Doherty, chairman and CEO

Established in 1985, Doherty Enterprises owns and operates 159 restaurants in New Jersey, New York, including seven restaurant concepts: Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Panera Bread, Wendy’s, JINYA Ramen Bar, Chevys Fresh Mex and its own concepts, The Shannon Rose Irish Pub and Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas. In addition, Doherty Enterprises is also a franchisee of Sola Salon Studios with 16 locations in Staten Island and New Jersey. Doherty Enterprises is ranked 20th largest franchisee in the United States by Restaurant Finance Monitor, is recognized as the 80th largest foodservice revenue company in the United States by Nation’s Restaurant News, the 58th largest privately held business in the New York Metro area by Crain’s Business, and 26th in N.J.’s Top 250 privately held companies in New Jersey by NJBIZ. The Doherty vision is to be the “Best Food Service Company in the Communities We Serve” and its mission is to “Wow Every Guest Every Time, Wow our People, Wow Our Communities and Wow Our Suppliers.” Doherty Enterprises has also been lending a helping hand to team members and their immediate families when financially burdened through their WOW a Friend Foundation. To date, the foundation has assisted more than 4,300 people and donated over $6.3 million directly back to those in need.

Eastern Janitorial Co.

Parsippany
Nicholas Rafanello, president and CEO

Eastern Janitorial serves the janitorial and maintenance needs of public and private facilities throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida and the Carolinas. With a legacy that began in 1977, we have since grown to become the preferred partner to those responsible for maintaining offices, schools, hospitals and other commercial facilities. Eastern Janitorial’s success is a result of our unwavering focus on a single, simple guiding principle – find the best people, then train and support them with the latest industry tools and practices. As a result, our motivated team remains highly focused on providing every customer with a consistently superior service experience.

ENCON Mechanical

Ocean Township
David Indursky, president

For more than 50 years, Encon Heating & Air Conditioning has shown what a values-driven family business can be. Founded in 1968 with a single humidifier installation, Encon has grown into an award-winning, second-generation company serving industrial and commercial facilities throughout New Jersey through its Design & Engineering, Build, Connect, Maintain, and Electrical Power Wiring & Systems divisions. Encon’s range speaks for itself: Class A office buildings, schools, healthcare and surgical centers, research facilities, and clean rooms demanding precise atmospheric control. From preserving Thomas Edison’s home and laboratory to supporting environments where components of the Hubble Telescope and Space Shuttle were built, Encon has earned its reputation solving the most complex heating, cooling, and controls challenges. What truly sets Encon apart is a culture built on trust, respect, integrity, and accountability. Employees are treated like family — and that philosophy extends to customers, suppliers and community partners. The company invests heavily in its people, from advanced manufacturer certifications to a 40-person onsite training facility, while a deep commitment to safety and work-life balance keeps the team empowered and proud. The results show: more than half of Encon’s employees have been with the company over a decade. As a family-owned business, Encon gives back — supporting local organizations and mentoring the next generation of skilled trades professionals.

The Fonseca Group

New Brunswick
PJ Fonseca, owner/operator

The Fonseca Group is a third-generation family business that was built on people. In 1980, Peter Fonseca became a McDonald’s owner/operator and began his organization Petwil Inc., named after Pete (PJ’s grandfather) and Wilma (PJ’s grandmother), with deep roots in New Brunswick and just four restaurants. In 1981, Pete Fonseca Sr. followed in his father’s footsteps and became an owner/operator, renaming the organization PKF Management.

Today, the business runs under The Fonseca Group, established by Pete Fonseca Sr.’s son and McDonald’s Owner/Operator PJ Fonseca, operating 29 restaurants across New Jersey and New York with 1,675 employees. The Fonseca Group’s 10 New Jersey restaurants are located across East Brunswick, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Edison, Piscataway, Jersey City, Monmouth Junction, Plainsboro and South Plainfield.

As a local business, the organization is committed to supporting and working with the communities its restaurants serve. Through relationships with organizations and schools, The Fonseca Group regularly hosts job fairs, in-restaurant celebrations, fundraising events and more. Since the beginning, authenticity has remained true to the family business’ core. The organization is committed to creating environments where individuals are encouraged to grow through education, explore their passions, and confidently take on new challenges, while welcoming everyone who walks through its restaurant doors.

Gellert Global Group

Elizabeth
George Gellert, chairman

The Gellert Global Group is one of the largest and most established food importers in North America and a third-generation, family-run business where every employee is an extension of the Gellert family.

Comprised of seven corporate brands – Atalanta Corp., Camerican International, DeMedici Imports, Finica, JF Braun, Tipico and Gellert Hospitality – the company supplies the needs of customers across the food industry, including retailers, distributors, food service chains, hotels, restaurant chains, cruise lines and food manufacturers.

Today, with combined revenues exceeding $1.7 billion, the Gellert Global Group imports over 4,000 unique food items sourced from trusted supply partners in more than 60 countries worldwide.

The Gillis Organization

Neptune
Margaret “Marty” Gillis, CEO

The Gillis Organization was founded in 1995 by McDonald’s Owner/Operator Marty Gillis, who now owns and operates 19 McDonald’s restaurants across New Jersey with her son, Owner/Operator Julio Morgan Gillis. Their New Jersey restaurants include Avenel, South Amboy, Freehold, Keyport, Point Pleasant, East Brunswick, North Brunswick, Woodbridge, South Plainfield, Little Ferry, Northvale, Edgewater, Fort Lee, Englishtown, Saddlebrook, two locations in Neptune, and two locations in Hackensack. With more than 30 years in the business, Marty Gillis is a pillar within her local community, hosting donation and community events across the organization’s restaurants, while guiding her teams through their professional and personal goals. As a multigeneration family business employing 1,098 staff members in New Jersey, The Gillis Organization is rooted in its community and its people. Marty and Julio focus on the development of their team, which has enabled the organization’s steady expansion. As long-time advocates for Archways to Opportunity – McDonald’s signature education and career advising program – Marty and Julio strongly encourage their employees to use it to further their education and careers while working at McDonald’s on their own, flexible schedules.

Working closely with its franchisor and its suppliers, the Gillis Organization sees its family business as a true joint venture, showcasing the success of a tried-and-true business model.

Goya Foods Inc.

Jersey City
Peter Unanue, co-president

Founded in 1936 by Spanish immigrants, Goya Foods, Inc. is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States and the premier source for authentic Latin cuisine. In 2026, Goya proudly celebrates 90 years of bringing the authentic flavors of the Caribbean, Mexico, Spain, Central, and South America to tables across America. What began as a small New York storefront built on family, culture, and quality has grown into a trusted household name, offering more than 2,600 high-quality, affordable products.

Headquartered in New Jersey, Goya operates 26 manufacturing and distribution facilities across the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Spain, employing more than 4,000 people worldwide. As it marks this milestone anniversary, Goya honors its rich heritage while continuing its commitment to quality, innovation, community impact, and the culinary traditions that have defined generations. Guided by its enduring credo, “If It’s Goya, It Has To Be Good,” the company remains dedicated to excellence and preserving the cultural heritage that has inspired its success for nine decades.

Greek Real Estate Partners

East Brunswick
David Greek, managing partner

Greek Real Estate Partners is a vertically integrated commercial real estate firm specializing in industrial real estate. Since 1934, GREP has completed over 33 million square feet of development projects and has built an outstanding reputation for excellence in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania industrial real estate markets. Currently ranked the third largest real estate developer in New Jersey, the hallmarks of the company are the long-term client relationships it has built and its proven expertise. The company manages every phase of the development process through three affiliated entities: Greek Real Estate Partners, which oversees site selection, acquisitions and leasing; Greek Design|Build, which manages design and construction; and Greek Management, which handles property and asset management. This integrated structure allows the company’s team of experienced, in-house managers to diligently control all aspects of the development process, culminating with clients cutting the ribbon and taking occupancy. As a family-owned business, GREP manages a portfolio encompassing over 23 million square feet in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Now led by the third generation of the Greek family, the firm pairs decades of institutional knowledge with a long-term ownership perspective that informs every project it develops and manages.

Hobby’s Delicatessen & Restaurant

Newark
Marc Brummer, president

Hobby’s Delicatessen and Restaurant, a “Newark Landmark” (Star Ledger) for over 100 years, has been owned by the Brummer family for over 65 of those years. Rated a “Top Ten Delicatessen in America” (Food & Wine Magazine), Hobby’s has been labeled “Outstanding” (New York Times), “The Best Delicatessen in NJ” (Star Ledger), and as having “The Best Pastrami in America” (farandwide.com). While most famous for its classic delicatessen specialties – homemade corned beef, pastrami, brisket, etc., Hobby’s has a full and varied 10-page menu that caters to all. Vegetarians, vegans, dieters and even those who eat gluten-free can dine at Hobby’s happily and confidently. Indeed, Hobby’s is rated “Five Stars” and “Top Restaurant, Newark” on findmeglutenfree.com. Hobby’s offers a robust downtown delivery service for both its á La Carte and extensive catering menus and offers other delivery through popular third-party platforms.

Hobby’s has proudly served a widely diverse customer base, from the guy “off the street” to the president of the United States. Long active in the community, the Brummers have received the “Corporate Citizen Award” from the American Conference on Diversity, the “Seeds of Hope Award” from NJ Monthly, and the “Community Service Award” from Volunteer Lawyers for Justice. The Brummers also spearheaded Hobby’s’ “Operation Salami Drop,” which shipped over 30 tons of Salamis – from donations across the Americas – to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in the early 2000s.

Interstate Waste Services Inc.

Teaneck
Michael DiBella, CEO

Founded in 1998 by a third-generation waste hauler in Bergen County, Interstate Waste Services is a vertically integrated provider of solid waste and recycling services in the greater New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut markets. IWS operates over 1,000 collection vehicles throughout these regions, supported by a network of 33 material recovery, transfer and transload facilities, as well as a rail-served solid waste landfill. As one of the largest privately held solid waste companies in the U.S., IWS is a recognized leader in utilizing waste-by-rail transportation to reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions.

NJBIZ In the Lead 2026: Family-Owned Businesses Index
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