Business Buzz
As Seven Mile Beach continues to buzz with activity after a pandemic year that was unprecedented in our lifetime, anticipation grows with several new businesses opening their doors in town. From new shopping and dining destinations to services offered throughout the island, there are several new businesses planting their roots in Avalon and Stone Harbor. We caught up with local business owners to bring you the scoop within the business community.
Founder and CEO of Addison Bay, Marguerite Adzick
Addison Bay
2619 Dune Drive #2, Avalon • 609-830-3591 • addisonbay.com
Addison Bay, a premier online active fashion brand, is expanding to open its first storefront in Avalon this May. Owner Marguerite Adzick, who grew up spending her summers in Avalon, founded the company in Philadelphia. When the 1,000-square-foot retail space became available here, she knew it was the perfect location for her first storefront.
“Avalon, N.J., holds a special place in my heart and the Addison Bay brand, as the ‘bay’ in Addison Bay comes from swimming in the Avalon bay on 7th Street where I grew up,” says Adzick. “We are so excited to open our first brick-and-mortar location this summer. My personal ties to the area combined with the active community makes it the ideal location for our first space.”
Adzick combined her passion for fitness and her love of the fashion industry to launch Addison Bay online in September 2018 after leaving Lilly Pulitzer at six months’ pregnant. She wanted to be able to offer women on the go a line that includes polished yet functional pieces that make it easier to get dressed every day. The brand was launched with the idea that women can wear fashionable activewear from 7am-7pm.
Addison Bay offers a curated collection of third-party brands such as Aviator Nation, Beyond Yoga, Terez and ULTRACOR, among others, as well as its own Addison Bay line that is designed and produced at its headquarters in the heart of Philadelphia.
The store planned to open in Avalon in mid-May and will celebrate with a grand-opening event May 29, during Memorial Day weekend. The event will feature giveaways, exclusive discounts, and more. The store will be open seven days a week from 10am-8pm.
Cara Jones, owner of Here Comes the Sun
Here Comes the Sun
2101 Ocean Drive, Avalon, NJ • 609-961-3258 • herecomesthesunavalon.com
Longtime Avalon summer resident Cara Jones is excited to launch Here Comes the Sun at 2101 Ocean Drive this spring. The store will carry swimwear and beachwear for ladies of all ages.
“I have been vacationing/homeowner in Avalon for the past 15 years and I believed Avalon would be a great location for a new ladies’ swim and beachwear boutique,” says Jones.
“I get many questions about the name of the store. I chose Here Comes the Sun not just because we offer clothing for hot, sunny days but also because it’s really a metaphor for hope and the anticipation of something positive, which we all need in these times of COVID. And I am also a Beatles fan and will be featuring Beatles music on select Sundays.”
Jones, whose background is in sales and marketing, has always been interested in fashion and owning a retail business. For the last 10 years, she has represented a designer clothing line and hosted seasonal trunk shows.
“Now seemed to be a good time in my life to take it one step further and open my own clothing store where I could curate a collection featuring many brands and designers,” she says.
The business will be a family affair: her oldest daughter, Madeline, has assisted with the buying and her youngest daughter, Olivia, will be working in the store this summer. Her husband, Jeff, has provided moral support and insisted that the store carry men’s swim trunks as well.
Here Comes the Sun is a beach lifestyle boutique carrying clothing and accessories that women wear to be comfortable and fashionable while at the beach. The lines appeal to all ages and feature swimwear, loungewear, social attire, and accessories. The store will be open daily during the summer, with hours posted on its website, herecomesthesunavalon.com.
Toastique owner Courtney Hoy
Toastique
280 96th Street, Unit B, Stone Harbor • 609-796-5137 • toastique.com
A gourmet toast and juice bar, Toastique, has opened on 96th Street. Owned and operated by Courtney Hoy, Toastique opened for business May 3 and serves gourmet toasts, Acai bowls, smoothies and cold pressed juices.
“Entrepreneurship runs in our family,” says Hoy, whose father owned a golf shop, “and Toastique had been so well received in D.C., and I had been looking for a location for a while. When in Stone Harbor last summer, I saw that this prime location was vacant and knew that it had to be a Toastique.”
Toastique was founded by Brianna Keefe from a love of nutrition and fitness, and passion for healthy living. The first location opened in Washington in 2018. Hoy learned of the business through her brother, Kyle Izett, who has been successful in opening four corporate locations. Hoy is the first franchisee.
“Being new parents, we were looking for an opportunity that would allow us the flexibility to spend more time with our family,” Hoy says. “My husband and I worked for the YMCA for 15 years, and that work is about keeping people healthy in spirit, mind and body. This restaurant is going to do the same. We are excited for this new venture.”
Some of the restaurants’ most popular items include the Avocado Smash Toast, and the PB & B Bowl (Peanut Butter & Berry Acai Bowl). All items from the menu are made using fresh ingredients, offering a crisp and refreshing meal no matter the time of day.
Toastique is now open daily from 7am-2pm and will extend its hours to 7am-7pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Online ordering is also available at toastique.com.
People People owner Liz Hodges
People People
9810 Third Ave., Stone Harbor • 609-368-3355 • shoppeoplepeople.com
Liz Hodges recently became People People’s third owner in its 31 years in business. Hodges, who had worked at the trendy boutique in her college years under previous owner Jen Daily, purchased the store in January and couldn’t be more excited for her new venture.
“I still have the very first thing I bought for myself at People People back in 1996,” Hodges says. “It was a black Lilly Pulitzer shift dress. I was about to enter my sophomore year at Georgetown, and I knew I needed this dress, I loved it. At the time I worked across the street from People People at Claude’s. I got to know Jen on my pre-work stops to visit THE dress.”
Hodges and Daily formed a friendship out of their mutual love of clothing and the soap opera, “Days of Our Lives.” When Hodges gave up waitressing, she joined Daily behind the counter at People People until moving to New York after college. She spent 15 years there, working in the publishing industry. Twelve of those years were at ELLE magazine, where she ran the marketing team and helped fashion and retail brands with their advertising strategies, promotions, and events.
“It was an exciting and challenging career which definitely helped me prepare for this next chapter,” Hodges says. “While my post-college career would take me out of Stone Harbor, it was never far from my mind. And after I had my daughter, Kathryn, who is now 3, I couldn’t think of a better place for her to grow up.”
People People carries a carefully curated selection of clothing for women and children, accessories, beauty products, and gifts. While it is physically located in Stone Harbor, customers also have the option to shop online.
The store is open daily from 10am-6pm and the website is always available for shopping as well. People People offers free domestic shipping for purchases over $150 and also offers local delivery and in-store pickup
Jill Blatter, the store manager at Vineyard Vines
vineyard vines
2619 Dune Drive, Unit A, Avalon • 609-938-3025 • vineyardvines.com
The popular clothing brand, vineyard vines, opened an Avalon location in April. Established in 1998 by brothers Shep and Ian Murray, the brand now has more than 100 locations across the United States.
Recently named among the Top 10 Retailers for Health and Safety by Retail Zipline, vineyard vines carries clothing and accessories for the entire family. From attire for a night out on the town to swimwear and flip-flops for the beach, vineyard vines has a little bit of everything, all branded with its signature pink whale.
“We are thrilled to open a store in Avalon, N.J. There is such a great community here and we are excited to be part of it,” says Jill Blatter, the Avalon store manager.
The Murray brothers grew up spending summers on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, the inspiration behind their brand. After realizing they wanted more out of the “good life,” they quit their desk jobs, “signed up for every credit card we could … grabbed a drink and started chasing the American Dream.” They started out with whimsical and colorful silk ties and have grown in the past 20 years.
“It’s been more than 20 years now – and what a ride,” the Murray brothers say on their website. “We’re in a big, brand new office, we’ve grown across the whole country, we have a new golf team, we’re the Official Style of the Kentucky Derby … and we sell a lot more than just ties. From technical gear to our original silks, we’ve got any and everything you need to get out there and live the Good Life.”
The store is open daily from 10am-5pm and will extend its hours after Memorial Day.
From left to right: Cade Zophy, Gavin Kenny, Liam Santry and Alex Lissette
Off the Hook Rooftop Market and Grill
224 96th Street, Stone Harbor • 609-830-3279 • offthehooksh.com
Cade Zophy, Alex Lissette, Gavin Kenny and Liam Santry just finished up their last semester of college and graduated in May. On top of their course loads, they’ve also spent the past several months planning for the opening of Off the Hook Rooftop Market and Grill, a rooftop restaurant coming to Stone Harbor this summer.
“We want to really be the freshest fish around. We’re going to use the most local produce, as much from New Jersey as possible,” Kenny says. “We really want to be as farm-to-table as possible.”
Off the Hook, situated on a rooftop adjacent to the Stone Harbor water tower, will offer takeout and BYOB dine-in options, as well as a fresh seafood case. In addition to seafood, the menu also includes chicken dishes, burgers, soup and salad, as well as a kids’ menu.
“We’re really excited about the crab cake,” Zophy says. “We’ve been experimenting with it. We’re definitely going to do little-to-no filler. We’re all very passionate about wanting to have it be a really meaty crab cake.”
Cade, Lissette and Kenny grew up coming to Avalon together, and when Kenny met Santry in college, the four of them began spending the summers in New Jersey living together.
“We’ve all worked in the restaurant industry our whole lives,” Kenny says. “We’ve worked in fish markets, we’ve all grown up fishing, we love anything on the beach, boating, surfing,” Kenny said. “So as we’re getting ready to graduate, we’re looking for jobs coming up, we thought, ‘What better to combine all of our passions and really make a career out of it?’ ”
Off the Hook will feature live music and will be open for lunch and dinner (Tuesday-Friday, noon-9pm, Saturday 11am-10pm, and Sunday 11am-9pm). Online ordering will be available.
“It’s going to be great food, good music, good weather – hopefully – and just good times,” Santry says, “and we look forward to seeing everyone and having everyone up at the restaurant.”
Beach Set Up Guy Matt Hladczuk
Beach Set Up Guy
Serving Avalon and Stone Harbor • 215-300-9320 • beachsetupguy.com
Do you dread having to haul your chairs, umbrella, and bags to and from the beach every day? Well, Matt Hladczuk has you covered. The University of Pennsylvania freshman has started his own business this summer, making your trip to the beach just a little bit easier.
Beach Set Up Guy will pick up your things from your house or hotel, take them to the beach, and set them up. You get to choose the location, just let Hladczuk know where. At the end of the day, he will come back, take down your gear and take it back to your house or hotel. No more struggling or hassle, you just enjoy the beach and let Beach Set Up Guy worry about your equipment.
Hladczuk’s family has owned a house at Seven Mile Beach for years. “We rented our house out for several years and provided our tenants with a set-up and break-down service for beach equipment,” he says. “It made their week extra special, and I want to give that experience to as many people as possible.”
While this is Hladczuk’s first season running Beach Set Up Guy, he ran a lawn business for the past five in Pennsylvania. “Those years have given me experience interacting with customers and delivering a reliable service,” he says.
So far, 15 customers have chosen Hladczuk to help make their vacation experience extra special. Beach Set Up Guy services start at $200 for a week. You can book with Hladczuk on his website.
Donna Kokol of Salty Paws
Salty Paws
276 96th Street, Stone Harbor • 610-299-1584 • saltypawsstoneharbor.com
Salty Paws is a franchise that started three years ago in Rehoboth Beach, Del., offering ice cream and baked goods for dogs. Since then, it has expanded to Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and finally right here!
Owner Donna Kokol knew that 96th Street in Stone Harbor was the perfect location for her new store. Kokol has been in the area since 1996, when she and her then-husband purchased a home in Avalon. Their children still come back every summer and they all have jobs here.
With so many new homeowners on the island, and most of them having fur babies of their own, why not take them out for treats when you are out treating yourself! “Who doesn’t like ice cream,” Kokol says, “and who doesn’t like to spoil their pet?”
Salty Paws is the first business of its kind in the country and the Stone Harbor location is the first one in New Jersey. Each store has the same décor including wall color, floor layout, etc. When you are inside, you know you are in a Salty Paws!
Ice cream is its specialty and comes complete with a variety of toppings. Dogs can have their choice of yogurt drops, cookie crumbles, liver, chicken, duck and so much more. Let’s not stop there! If your pooch prefers regular treats, there is an extensive baked good section. All of the novelty baked goods are dog-friendly and include biscuits, cupcakes, cookies and more.
“It’s just a really cool and fun concept when you can bring your dog out for some doggy ice cream,” Kokol says.
It seems that all of the dogs in town agree. The Salty Paws Facebook page is full of photos of happy dogs enjoying their special treats.
