Two ribbon cuttings on the same day highlight the comeback of Halsey Street. Mayor Ras J. Baraka has worked to turn this once-dark, desolate street of vacant buildings into a neighborhood of shops and restaurants owned by entrepreneurs, with residents occupying apartments and lofts. With its extensive small business-oriented development anchored by the Hahne’s Building renovation and the new Prudential tower, Halsey Street is well on its way to achieving Mayor Baraka’s vision of a 24-hour downtown.

Mayor Baraka, the Newark Municipal Council, Newark Community Economic Development Corporation President Aisha Glover, and Ono Grinds Poke Owners Luis Valls-Amabile and Daniela Hoyos will cut the ribbon to open Ono Grinds Poke, a new restaurant offering unique Hawaiian flavors to downtown diners, today, Monday, September 18, at 11 a.m., at 1227 Raymond Boulevard. (The restaurant is located on the corner of Raymond Boulevard and Halsey Street.) The restaurant specializes in poke, smoothies, and superfood bowls. “Poke” is a Hawaiian term for a raw fish salad that is served as either an appetizer or a main course in Hawaiian cuisine.

Mr. Vals-Amabile is a New Jersey native, former amateur boxing champion who won his titles in Newark, and graduated from Rutgers University-Newark Business School in 2015. His mother was a Newark schoolteacher for more than 30 years. Ms. Hoyos, a Mexican native who grew up in San Diego, has created many of the menu specialties for the restaurant, and runs its social media page.

Three hours later Mayor Baraka, the Council, Ms. Glover, and Sugar Daddy Restaurant Owner and Newark native Jihad Muhammad will open Sugar Daddy’s Restaurant at 2 p.m., at 201 Halsey Street. Sugar Daddy’s Restaurant offers new American cuisine such as salmon, shrimp, and grits, a wide variety of salads, including a crab cake salad, and more.