Business Buzz
While some are sad to see summer go, others have come to enjoy September and October on the island and the perfect weather that comes along with it. Many stores and restaurants remain open and with the addition of two recently opened restaurants, along with a luxurious spa coming to Seven Mile this fall, we’re in for a treat this year. As you wave a fond farewell to summer, be sure to come back this fall and experience all the buzz within the business community!
The Reeds’ Managing Director Ron Gorodesky speaking during the Topping Off Ceremony.
THE REEDS CELEBRATES SALT SPA’S TOPPING OFF
The Reeds at Shelter Haven hosted a “Topping Off Ceremony” on Aug. 7 as the final beam was placed for the Salt Spa, the boutique hotel’s newest addition. The event was attended by local residents, vacationers and partners of The Reeds at the northeast corner of 97th and Third Avenue. All of the guests were invited to sign the steel beam before it was raised and placed on the building.
“Many of us remember over 10 years of a vacant lot and no growth on the corner of 96th and Third Avenue,” Stone Harbor Mayor Judy Davies-Dunhour said in a brief speech. “Now you see a fabulous hotel, we see restaurants, bars, and what has grown to be a premier wedding venue at the Jersey Shore, as well as a local draw for dining options with great places to relax and socialize with friends and family.”
Following the ceremony, all were invited back for brunch at Stone Harbor Pizza Pub’s new Crew Room. The original plans for The Reeds, which opened in 2013, included only 37 rooms and suites and two restaurants. Since then, it has added three restaurants, not to mention the Salt Spa that is expected to be completed in the winter of 2019. The building’s plans include a state-of-the-art fitness center, full-service spa, and a boutique store.
“As The Reeds continues to expand, so does our local economy here in Stone Harbor,” Davies-Dunhour said. “However, there is one thing that never changes: The fact that Stone Harbor is indeed the seashore at its best.”
Staff of Polpo Ristorante, from left, Brian Elezaj, Bekim Daku, Roland Smith and Jessica Rudolph.
Polpo Ristorante
3258 Dune Drive, Avalon
609-741-6155
ristorantepolpo.com
Fratelli’s Wood Fired Pizzeria
3256 Dune Drive, Avalon
609-478-2542
fratellispizzeria.net
Restaurateur brothers Bujar and Gani Daku opened two more restaurants this summer: Polpo Ristorante on the corner of 32nd and Dune Drive and a third location for Fratelli’s Wood Fired Pizzeria next door. Each building was completely renovated and revamped. Polpo Ristorante serves “classic dishes that capture the flavors of Italy,” and Fratelli’s Wood-Fired Pizzeria offers authentic Neapolitan pizza.
Bujar Daku and his family arrived in the United States from Albania in 1990 and he worked his way through some of the top restaurants in Philadelphia before opening his first restaurant, La Fontana Del Mare in Strathmere. Following the success at the shore, The Daku brothers opened La Fontana Della Citta in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square in 2006. La Fontana Coast in Sea Isle City followed in 2008 and Avalon’s La Vecchia Fontana in 2013. Then came Fratelli’s Wood-Fired Pizzeria on the deck of La Fontana Del Mare, and the second Fratelli’s, in Sea Isle City across from La Fontana Coast.
Polpo, meaning octopus in Italian, offers a variety of dishes including some with its namesake such as the “Polpo al Grigalia” appetizer and the “Al Polpo Nero” dish, both featuring fresh octopus. The corner property affords both indoor and outdoor seating as well. Additional menu selections include dishes with the same quality of ingredients that customers have come to know from each of the Daku restaurants, such as risotto and pasta dishes.
While Polpo offers a fine-dining experience, Fratelli’s Wood-Fired Pizzeria next door offers pizza, paninis and salads. The pizzas are cooked to perfection in a custom Morello Forni oven that heats to 750 degrees; they cook in approximately five minutes and it gives each pizza a thin and crispy crust. Choose from favorites such as the “Ventura” with Prosciutto di Parma, mozzarella cheese, arugula, the “Di Mare” with shrimp, calamari, mussels, pepperoncini and crushed tomatoes, or check out a salad or panini. Save room for homemade gelato as well.
Reservations are recommended and can be made on each restaurant’s website.
