Year in review for area business

(Jan. 1, 2010) This year, many new restaurants and shops opened in the resort and its surrounding areas, while a few closed their doors for good and other celebrated anniversaries or made some changes.

WEST OCEAN CITY:

n James Gallagher, originally from Donegal, Ireland, has worked in the carpentry business since he moved to the area in 1991. He owned Old Country Carpentry for about 10 years. Gallagher teamed up with fellow Irishman Damian McAlister (Belfast, Ireland), who ran Celtic Contracting for 10 years, and Jonathan Linch (Kent, England) of Two Nations Construction, which did business in the area for about three years, to form Celtic Nations Contracting in early March.

n Owners Chris Wall and Lloyd Whitehead celebrated the 16th anniversary of their restaurant, Harborside Bar & Grille, on Harbor Road in West Ocean City, this year. Harborside opened in 1993, replacing the Stumblin’ Inn.

n A steady flow of people went through the door to sample cakes and cupcakes freshly made at the new Original Smith Island Cake Company store in the West Ocean City Factory Outlets on May 4, the first day of business. The Smith Island Cake was designated as Maryland’s official state dessert in October 2008.

n Brothers Matt and Bill Rados, owners of 707 Sports Bar & Grille in West Ocean City, opened The Baybreeze Cafe at Castaways Waterfront RV Resort & Campground over the Memorial Day holiday. Located off Route 611 on Eagles Nest Road in Berlin, the campground is nestled on the Sinepuxent Bay overlooking Assateague Island. The Baybreeze Café is carryout only, but about a dozen tables are on the patio in front of the restaurant. Delivery is available to the campsites.

n Frontier Town Western Theme Park, off Route 611 in West Ocean City, celebrated its 50th anniversary this summer. Built in 1959 by Bill Patton and Bill Pacey, Frontier Town is one of the original 1950’s roadside attractions. Native American ceremonial dancing, a can-can show, stagecoach rides, a gunfight at the OC Corral, Trail of Lopez, pony rides, a rodeo, paddle boats and panning for gold are just some of the activities. Guests can also visit the barber and leather shops, general store, dentist, church, jail, bath house, Chinese laundry, saloon, bank, post office, ice cream parlor and school house.

n Joe Crocetti’s Shrimp Boat, on Route 611 in West Ocean City celebrated its 20th anniversary July 1. Crocetti got started in the shrimp business in 1989 after his friend, Les Bowman, opened a stand in Ocean Pines. Bowman wanted a second location and sought out the property on Route 611, then asked Crocetti to run that business. He sold shrimp out of the back of a truck the first year, then upgraded to a small boat in 1990. He had that boat for a few years before buying the one his seafood is now sold from.

n Starting in late September, Connoisseurs, located in the Teal Marsh Shopping Center in West Ocean City, turned into Bistro West in the evenings with a full dinner menu, featuring creative, original and eclectic dishes made with all fresh ingredients.

n Marlin Moon Grille,which opened in the Francis Scott Key Motel on Sept. 29, 2001, closed for good at that location on Oct. 3 because the lease expired. Executive chef and owner Gary Beach started in the restaurant business in the area on May 1, 1999. Partnering with Angie and Scott Lathroum, he helped run the Reel Inn, in West Ocean City. The name changed to Marlin Moon Grille in January 2001 and the restaurant moved to the Francis Scott Key, off Route 50, in September of that year. Beach continues to search for the “right spot” for his new restaurant.

n Todd and Jill Ferrante can provide a better shopping experience for customers at their newer, bigger store in the White Marlin Mall on Route 50 in West Ocean City. After 10 years and with an increasing customer base, the Ferrantes outgrew their store in the Ocean City Factory Outlets, located next to the mall. It closed Oct. 31 and six days later the new one opened. At 2,400 square feet, the store has more than two times the space the outlets shop had.

n The timing was right and the location was perfect, so Bill Gibbs decided to open another of his Dough Roller restaurants in West Ocean City at the intersection of Route 50 and Keyser Point Road. The restaurant opened its doors Nov. 12. The building was the former site of Bull on the Beach. Gibbs remodeled it.

OCEAN CITY:

n The Dough Roller at the south end of the Boardwalk opened for business March 27, just three days shy of the oneyear anniversary of the fire that destroyed the original. It was rebuilt from the ground up as a bigger and better version of the original.

n The Blue Ox operated as an upscale steakhouse for four years. The establishment opened its doors for the season in April as “The Blue Ox Bar & Grill,” with the slogan, “Ocean City’s Family Fun Place … Think Sports Bar meets Family Diner.” Instead of specializing in steaks, wine and fine dining, the new restaurant has a family-friendly atmosphere, which features burgers, shakes and hand-cut French fries.

n As the new co-owner and general manager of Bamboo Restaurant & Tiki Bar on Ninth Street, Jay Ferrari made several changes to accommodate customers in April. Ferrari expanded the original menu and lowered prices to make it more family friendly. Ferrari added a jukebox and bar top and video games.

n Residents of The Quay condominiums at 10700 Coastal Highway got a new roof over their heads, and it is not just any roof. The replacement roof is composed of lightweight concrete. It can weigh 70 percent less than structural concrete, making it easier to work with, while also creating less of a load on supporting structures. Crews from Potteiger-Raintree Inc., headquartered in Glen Rock, Pa., and its affiliate, Concrecel USA in Boca Raton, Fla., poured The Quay’s roof in late April.

n After managing several Jet Ski rental companies over the past eight years, Nick Miller decided it was time to open his own personal water craft business. In the beginning of 2009, the dock space became available next to the Angler Restaurant on Talbot Street at the Route 50 bridge. Miller and partner Matt Lasinski opened OC Jet Skis for business May 22.

n The DeVito family celebrated 75 years of serving food to its loyal customers, the last 29 of those in Ocean City as owners of a pizza and sub shop on 143rd Street. The family opened a deli on 143rd Street in Ocean City May 21, 1981.

n Seacrets’ owner Leighton Moore didn’t celebrate the fifth, 10th, 15th, “Sweet 16” or even the 20th anniversary of his sprawling creation.

There was only one he wanted to commemorate — when the once locals-only bayside bar on 49th Street reached the age of 21.

“The only day I ever wanted to celebrate was when she was old enough to drink,” Moore said. “That’s when I wanted to throw a party for the lady. It’s a big day. That’s when you should celebrate a bar.”

The birthday bash took place June 29.

n Dave Diehl opened OCM Crabs on 63rd Street bayside, just north of the Route 90 bridge, in early May. The eatery is a family business, run by Diehl, his wife, Bonnie, and their three sons, Mike, Greg, and Tim.

n Billy and Madlyn Carder celebrated BJ’s on the Water’s 30th anniversary July 14, with hundreds of friends gathered at the 75th Street restaurant for its annual canoe races.

n Wally Saleh has owned gas stations and convenience stores in the Ocean City area over the years, but he was waiting for the perfect opportunity to open a restaurant. He opened Ocean Bites on July 2 on the Jolly Roger Amusement Park parking lot on 30th Street.

n Hookah lounges and bars are popular around the world and in big cities across the Unite States. Rusty Pachev brought the hookah experience to Ocean City, opening Smoky Shop on the corner of Talbot Street on South Baltimore Avenue in June.

n J.W. Powell Jr. and his father, Boog Powell, opened Boog’s BBQ on the Boardwalk between Wicomico and Worcester streets on April 6, 2001. After six years of searching for another location, they opened Boog’s BBQ & Drive-Thru on Route 50 next to the Park & Ride facility in West Ocean City June 17.

n The Captain’s Table Restaurant reopened June 24 on the third floor of the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel on 15th Street, between the Boardwalk and Baltimore Avenue. In 1956, Willye Conner Ludlam, the grandmother of Lauren Conner Taylor, who owns Captain’s Table with her brother, Edmund Conner, opened the Santa Maria Hotel and on the first floor of it, the 90- seat Captain’s Table Restaurant. The hotel and restaurant were family run until both closed in the fall of 2004. Demolition began in 2005.

Construction on the new hotel and restaurant began in 2007. The Courtyard by Marriott officially opened July 31.

n On June 20, Susan and Herb Bryant and Dennis McArthur took over the restaurant space on 116th Street and opened Surfside Susan’s on July 3. It is located oceanside behind the Fountainhead Condominium building.

n Bob Hammond, owner of Atlantic Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine leased a 2,000-square-foot space inside Ocean City Health & Racquet Club on 61st Street where therapists started provide physical, occupational and aquatic therapy in August. Atlantic Physical Therapy has been serving the area since 1998, when the first facility opened on Cathell Road near Ocean Pines. Since then, the business has expanded into Millsboro, Milford, Laurel, Dover and Lewes, Del.

n Melina Bates always talked about owning her own hair salon, so when she saw the vacant space after shopping at Food Lion on 118th Street, she jumped at the opportunity. Bates, who has been in the hair styling business for 20 years, opened Hot Headz next to Food Lion in Ocean City Square at the end of July.

n For months, resort-area residents and visitors popped into the shopping center at 64th Street in Ocean City, where a sign boasted the arrival of the nationally popular restaurant, Five Guys Burgers and Fries. The restaurant opened Sept. 21.

n The November/December issue of Shore Dog Magazine hit newsstands Nov. 16. The publication is now part of Flag Publications and Ocean City Today. Hope Thomas, creator of Shore Dog and Ocean City Today sales manager, wanted to bring the magazine into the company because she thought the publication would improve with the newspaper’s editorial staff and artists working on it. Readers would also benefit. The next issue is scheduled for publication in February.

BERLIN:

n The New Year’s Eve party was the last event for the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin before it closed. In February, restaurateur John Fager of Fager’s Island took over, did some remodeling and opened it at the end of March. Fager leased the hotel and restored the downstairs to the classic look. He also freshened up the hotel rooms.

n Located behind the Atlantic Hotel, the Berlin Coffee House is a small, cozy place with comfortable sofa and chair seating with books on the shelves to peruse while drinking a cup of coffee or latte and having a bagel or iced cinnamon bun. It opened April 1.

n The Berlin Auction House, located at 515 Franklin Ave., off Route 113 across from Apple Discount Drugs in Berlin began holding auctions in February. People can buy or sell a variety of wares from modern pieces to antiques.

n One of the main focuses of the CRICKET Center, Worcester Country’s Child Advocacy Center, is to reduce the trauma of abuse for children in the area. The organization is better equipped to do just that, as the staff moved to a new, 1,800-square-foot building with seven rooms on the Atlantic General Hospital campus in Berlin in August.

n Ta-Da opened in its new location, the former site of Abigail’s and The Perfect Touch on Main Street in late October. The new spot is much larger than its previous site and artist and owner Patty Falck is joined by her daughter, Blair Elizabeth Parsons, and her handmade jewelry line.

OCEAN PINES:

n Virginia Barbeque opened its doors in the Pennington Commons Shopping Center in Ocean Pines April 17, featuring the franchise’s famous Texas, Virginia and North Carolina barbecue.

DELAWARE:

n Harpoon Hanna’s celebrated its 25th year in business with a big party on April 24. Frank Hanna Sr. bought the Fenwick Island, Del. property in 1983. The restaurant is still in its original building, with the addition of an outdoor tiki bar in 1991. Harpoon Hanna’s has been selected one of “Restaurant Hospitality” magazine’s top 100 restaurants in the country twice.

n To celebrate Jammin Jon’s Island BBQ’s one-year anniversary on July 28, owner Jon Yanek showed customers his appreciation by giving them free fries and $1 off his highly popular pulled pork sandwiches at the Fenwick Island restaurant.

n Some of High Stakes Bar & Grill patrons used their building and carpentry skills to help with the Route 54 restaurant’s expansion. Work on the addition began in March and it opened in November. The 700-plus extra square footage includes a full bar with about a dozen seats and several tables.

n Shoppers can buy power tools, vacuums and grills, among a variety of other things for the house and home, at Fenwick Hardware on Route 54. But go up the spiral staircase and football fans will find a plethora of merchandise in the NFL Shop. In November the retail space was increased in order fit additional products on the shelves.