Bars, Restaurants Survive Despite Wet June, Soggy Economy

SEA ISLE CITY — As part of an end-of-summer survey, the Herald spoke with bar and restaurant managers in this seaside resort to find out how business treated them this season.
Those who responded were asked to grade the summer business from A (very busy) to F (very slow).
The best grade given was from Alex, a manager at the Lobster Loft, who does not give his last name to newspaper reporters. He said the restaurant’s summer business was “fantastic.” Alex gave the summer business a grade of A.
“We were the best kept secret at the Jersey shore this summer,” he said.
When asked why business was so good, Alex said it was because the restaurant, located on the water at 42nd Place, ran regular two-for-one dinner specials as well as happy hour drink prices and half-price bar appetizers until 10 p.m. all summer.
The next best grade was from Terry Eidenberg, manager at the Springfield Inn, 43rd Street.
“We’ve had a very good year,” she said. “June was a little slow due to the weather, but overall our summer was great.”
She gave the Springfield’s summer business a B+.
Len Desiderio, owner of Kix-McNutley’s and mayor of Sea Isle, agreed that the wet June put a damper on summer business, but he said that the bad economy and early return to school also hurt. He gave Kix’s business an average C+ for the summer.
He said many schools had started back before the Labor Day weekend, which sent families home from vacation earlier than usual. He also noted that college students went back even sooner leaving his business at 64th and Landis Avenue and many others throughout the city struggling to staff their establishments at summer’s end.
Desiderio wanted to remind visitors to come back to town in September since there aren’t many of the regular summer problems with parking, long lines and packed beaches.
“It (September) is really one of the best times to visit Sea Isle,” he told the Herald.
Al and Kim Schettig, the fifth generation of family owners at Busch’s Seafood in Sea Isle, gave their summer business a B-.
Al told the Herald he was thankful this year for the 127-year-old restaurant’s loyal customers who “broke their piggy banks” during these difficult economic times to continue their summer traditions of visiting Busch’s.
He said the numbers were down from last year, but it was good summer overall. He hopes his customers continue visiting the restaurant so his sons Logan and Tyler can be the sixth generation to run the family restaurant.
Sea Isle City is home to eight restaurants with liquor licenses. Of those that responded to the Herald, none gave the same grade, but all said the economy had something to do with their summer business.
After hearing from several local business people, it was a restaurant owner from Rio Grande that summed it up the best.
Ric Rutherford, owner of Rio Station, said the summer was great, but it was still off a bit from last year’s numbers. He gave the summer a grade of A-.
“Someone told me the other day that, in this economy, a drop of 5 percent is the new up,” Rutherford joked.