Business Buzz
Dan Ryan has taken the helm of Capt’n Chucky’s in Avalon.
There’s a New Captain on Board
Dan Ryan came aboard Labor Day Weekend. After being operated by the Vassalotti family for six summers, Capt’n Chucky’s Avalon, at 3011 Dune Drive has changed hands. Dan is a full-time resident of Avalon and says that he plans to continue to cultivate the business with the same passion that the Vassalotti’s poured their heart and soul into. So, everything that you loved about Capt’n Chucky’s will remain the same – along with some new additions and ideas that Dan plans to implement. As evidenced by the fact that they will be open for Thanksgiving Weekend when traditionally they would have been closed until spring. And maybe you were one of the many who enjoyed their dishes at the Avalon Arts and Seafood Festival back in October. Looking for some quick dinner ideas, apps, or party trays? Well, be sure to look to Capt’n Chucky’s.
Vince Amato is bringing his Nemo’s Pizza back to Avalon in 2025.
Who Says You Can’t Go Home Again? Benvenuto Nemo’s Back To Avalon!
Just as we’re saying ciao to Via Mare, it’s time to welcome Nemo’s back into Avalon. It was the spring of 1987 when Al Nemore hoped to fill a void left by the conversion of Avalon Pizza to Via Mare. Sure, Via Mare served Pizza but they were more about fine dining. That’s when Nemore saw an opportunity to create a new brand in Avalon’s food industry and he opened Nemo’s in the space formally occupied over the years by the original Phil’s Deli, The College Deli and even Jerry McCargo’s Fish Peddler Fish Market before that. Nemore successfully operated the business for nearly 20 years before selling the operation to Vince Amato. Amato continued Nemo’s tradition while adding a few of his own touches until the building was sold in 2022. By that point Amato had expanded the brand down to Stone Harbor, which operated year ‘round as opposed to the seasonal operation in Avalon. Since the conversion of the old location to condo topped retail, Nemo’s has continued to serve Avalon with free delivery from the Stone Harbor location. That may change by Memorial Day Weekend 2025 when Nemo’s will take over the space at 3101 Dune Drive in Avalon. It’s the former location of the Seven Mile Island Deli. The size of the space combined with a lack of an exhaust hood will require a slightly limited menu compared to Stone Harbor. “The smaller space and without a hood, I expect the new location to be primarily pizza,” Amato explained recently from behind the pizza table in Stone Harbor. “We’ll still have a full menu here in Stone Harbor,” he added “And a great selection of our pizzas back in Avalon.” So, Amato should have a busy winter converting his new space and getting it ready to open. And in case you are wondering, these days Nemore is selling real estate instead of pizzas in Florida. Benvenuto Nemo’s!
There Goes That Banner Plane
It was early August after the Avalon Beach Patrol captured the South Jersey Lifeguard Championship and the Bill Howarth Women’s Lifeguard Invitational. Two of South Jersey’s most iconic events. The annual Avalon Beach Patrol Yearbook was also in its final stages of preparation by Seven Mile Publishing (publishers of The Seven Mile Times). A key discussion every year is always, “What do we do for a cover?” The suggestion was made, “What’s more iconic than a banner plane on the beach?” And with that a request was made to Cape May Aerial Advertising to see if they would assist with the yearbook cover. Several days later the banner was flying south to north on Avalon’s beaches and enlisting cheers beach by beach as it passed each beach. The 2024 Avalon Beach Patrol Yearbook was published in October.