LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Business Beat |
by Barry Becker |
Spring is here, the weathers turning glorious, summer crowds are only weeks away, but the impact of the back-to- back Noreasters we endured in February is still very much being felt in town.
Like other ocean-front properties, one business that bore much of the oceans rage is the BODY SHOP FITNESS CENTER (Boardwalk & Virginia Avenue). Customers are used to the sea-side entrance to the gym right off the boardwalk, but that section of the boardwalk has been closed for nearly two months now due to severe damage. This has had a chilling effect on business, which owner John Phillips says has been off about 50% since the storm. The good news, fitness fans, is that the gym IS open, but customers just have to use the less visible Virginia Avenue entrance. A full service gym that specializes in personal training, the Body Shop is currently open every day except Tuesday and Thursday, until the second week of May. Then, it will be open 7 days a week until September 30. Johns been very supportive of our community, and has done a great job over the past 8 years of creating a climate where everyone is welcome. Women and Food in the News Again this month theres more restaurant news, including that about the newly opened AURORA GRILL (329 Savannah Road) in Lewes. Just opened in mid-March, the Grill serves breakfast and lunch from 5:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A dinner menu will be added later in the season. The restaurant has a comfortable feel, like a cozy diner, with booths, tables and a lunch counter. Owner Sue Cline, a trained pastry chef who has been in the food business for 15 years, moved here from Richmond in November. Sue wants to create a restaurant where "family dining" is not only fun but affordable, and she is well on her way. Her extensive menu, reasonable prices and relaxed atmosphere offer a welcome addition to the areas dining options. Breakfast is served any time, and includes all the great standards of omelettes, biscuits, grits, home fries, waffles, pancakes, french toast and more. For lunch theres a wide selection of salads (pasta oriental, chicken caesar), sandwiches (meatloaf, grilled cheese and tomato, the more adventuresome peanut butter, lettuce and mayo, to name a few), quiches (including crab and swiss), soups and chili (vegetarian and firehouse variety), entrees (crabcakes, grilled vegetable lasagna, fish and chips....just to get you hungry), and specialty sandwiches like the Caribbean Burger (spicy vegetarian black bean burger dragged through the garden....Im not sure what that means, must be restaurant talk), the Reubens Reprise ( a must on any menu) and many other tempting ones as well. Selections for dessert (or, if youre eating with me, appetizers) include apple caramel pie, black bottom pecan pie, lemon meringue pie, and the toffee tower, sure to give you a sugar rush. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Aurora was the Roman goddess of dawn, and symbolizes new beginnings. Back in Rehoboth, lets check in on Pat and George at PLUMB LOCO (10 North First St.) I know even Ive been a little confused about whats going on between Plumb Loco and Dos Locos, so just so were all reading off the same page for the rest of the summer, heres the skinny. DOS LOCOS closed at the end of last season, and will not re-open. Pat and George have, however, now added the Dos Locos menu to the already wonderful selections offered on the Plumb Loco menu. So, you can still have your black bean chili and red and green sauces and great salsa and margaritas (old menu), in addition to burgers, wings, steaks, and seafood (new menu). Currently, Plumb Loco is open Friday (5:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.) and Saturday and Sunday (noon - 1:00 a.m.). In May, they move to 7 days a week. Check their ad in Letters each issue for specials and events. On Saturday, April 11, Shelley Abbott will perform beginning at 9:00, and shell be back on Easter Sunday to lead karaoke from 2:00 - 6:00. Cool! With LORIS OY VEY CAFE now re-opened Friday through Monday in the CAMP/Lambda Rising courtyard (39 Baltimore Avenue), and DREAM CAFE (26 Baltimore Avenue) re-opened from Thursday through Monday, beginning at 7:00 a.m., summer must be right around the corner. Next month well take a look at some other new eateries, including YUM YUM (formerly Savannahs) and THE BEACH HOUSE (formerly Potpourri), as well as cover more late-breaking business news. Until then, remember, if you have any business items youd like to report, just give me a call at CAMP! |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 8, No. 3, April 10, 1998. |