Business Buzz
The summer season is finally here, and we are beyond ready to go to our favorite stores and restaurants once again. Over the winter, several new businesses have made Seven Mile Beach their home. Check out the latest business buzz in our community and stay tuned for additional updates this summer.
Lisi Lerch, owner of Lisi Lerch Bungalow Boutique
Lisi Lerch Bungalow Boutique of Avalon & Villanova
2619 Dune Drive, Unit 3, Avalon • 615 Conestoga Road, Villanova, Pa.
609-830-2251 • lisilerch.com
Lisi Lerch Bungalow Boutique opened on Dune Drive this spring carrying something for everyone from beach flip-flops and cover-ups to wedding-guest accessories. This is the second location for owner Lisi Lerch, who opened her flagship boutique in Villanova, Pa.
“I am originally from the Eastern Shore of Maryland and a Baltimore girl at heart!” Lerch says. “Although those are my hometowns, Philadelphia has been an amazing place to raise my family and have my businesses really take off. My love for the beach and the opportunity to be in this amazing town next to these other wonderful businesses is a dream come true! I could not pass up this opportunity, especially in this great location on Dune Drive!”
Lerch started her business in the spring of 2001 in Ithaca, N.Y., while her husband was getting his MBA at Cornell. The couple met while working at the same firm on Wall Street.
“While I loved every minute of my job in the finance industry, I learned that I really needed to exercise my creative side,” she says. “I modeled throughout college and for a number of years in New York, which gave me a great perspective of the fashion industry — I was fully intrigued.”
In attending the Preakness and Belmont Stakes for so many years, Lerch realized that there was a void in the marketplace for a handcrafted, affordable straw hat. She started her business while working at the Cornell Business School full-time in the recruiting office. As her hat business was steadily growing, she would make frequent trips to the Garment District in New York to millinery suppliers — eventually with two babies in tow. This was the start of Lisi Lerch as a brand name.
The brand began as a jewelry company specializing in statement earrings and other jewelry. On June 1, 2018, an exciting addition came into the Lisi Lerch brand: Bosom Buddy Bag. These handwoven Bali bags made of Ata grass make the perfect beach bag custom to your liking. Choose from an assortment of ribbons and charms from her store or website! A few years later in 2021, Lerch decided to move into the apparel industry. Her daughters Libby and Katherine inspired the new brand “LibbyKat,” which is an affordable line of dresses for women and girls under $100! This brand slowly turned into shoes, tops, jackets and more, which are all available in Avalon and Villanova!
Stop by over Memorial Day weekend for the boutique’s opening which will include local businesses and all the Lisi Lerch accessories and LibbyKat clothing. The Avalon store will be open daily from 10am-6pm.
Co-founders of Wags Wheels Adam Szyfman and Dillion Wagner.
Wags Wheels
54 North Delsea Drive, Glassboro, N.J. • 201-679-6963
wagswheelsllc.com
Get where you are going safely this summer with help from a new ride-share service now operating in Cape May County. Avalon resident Adam Szyfman and Rowan University graduate Dillon Wagner started Wags Wheels in Glassboro last fall and are excited to bring their enterprise to Cape May County this summer.
The business is the brainchild of Wagner, known around the Rowan campus as “Wags.” Says Szyfman: “After a year of riding his friends around, Dillon turned to me as an investor and to help build up the tech side of the company. We now have a growing fleet of four minivans, two Mercedes-Benz Sprinter limousines, and a Chevy Suburban.”
Wags Wheels has its own fleet of vehicles and drivers and operates on a token-based system (though not required), saving customers money based on the token package purchased. Cash pricing is also offered for those who prefer that payment method. All ride pricing is determined by vehicle selection and number of riders as well as distance to location.
“We offer a wide variety of services from daytime rides and trips to rides to and from Cape May County’s nighttime hot spots,” says Szyfman. “We can take groups out for a golf outing, bachelorette parties, and wineries or nighttime trips to your favorite local nighttime watering holes.”
Customers wishing to download the app can just search for Wags Wheels LLC in the app store or through Google Play. Various token packages will be available in the app this month so customers can bundle and save using the tokens.
For more information, check out wagswheelsllc.com.
