Lauren Romig: The Pelican Loft Spreads its Wings Year ‘Round
Before Michael and I mustered up the good sense to move here to Rehoboth Beach, one of the high points of our weekend visits was the ritual perusal of The Pelican Loft. Beachy gewgaws, eclectic tchotchkies and sparkling kitchen flourishes were all over the place. And nobody likes a gewgaw, tchotchke or flourish more than I do, except perhaps for Lauren Romig and Lisa Myers, Rehoboth Beach residents and proprietors of the aforementioned and above-captioned Pelican Loft.
At the tender age of four, Lauren moved from Reading, PA to Wilmington, DE. Her mother recalls that she “always had a project.” From kindergarten on up, Lauren was always creating something with her hands—sailboats made from nails and yarn, candles, and whatever else struck her fancy. Lauren’s parents took the hint and never missed an opportunity to expose their three kids to museums, the theater, and other imaginative goings-on.
As the middle child, she got it from both sides, especially from her brother who made it his business to pick on her unmercifully. One fateful day (he was 16 and she was 13), after making sure her mother was nearby, she threw a chair at him. She hid behind mom, and he licked his wounds. “He had a new respect for me,” she smiles.
Her brother might actually have done her a favor, because Lauren made it her business to excel in all kinds of athletics. She spent summers at Camp Tockwogh, a leading sports-oriented co-ed YMCA camp on the Chesapeake Bay. She joined the staff to eventually become Waterfront Director—solely responsible for the safety of upwards of 200 campers and over 30 boats in the water. She loved to teach windsurfing, waterskiing, snorkeling and boating. The gravity of her accountability was brought home in no uncertain terms when her boss solemnly intoned, “If something happens to a camper, you are the one who has to make…‘the call.’” No calls were ever made, as Lauren took her job very seriously: “Water is my Rocky Mountain high.”
Her degree in Commercial Recreation brought her to the position of Aquatic Program Director at the YMCA in Newark, DE and eventually a job with Esprit Tours, booking and arranging snow ski vacations. It wasn’t long before she joined Rosenbluth Vacations to help troubleshoot their satellite offices and manage their home offices. One of those satellite offices was in King of Prussia, PA, where she met Lisa Myers, the activities director for the United Methodist-affiliated Wesley College in Dover.
Still smarting from a difficult breakup, Lauren had no interest in pursuing a relationship. But after a few months she re-discovered Lisa’s business card and took the plunge. The women hit it off. Both were ready for a change, and in 1998 they opened The Pelican Loft bed and breakfast/retail store in that cute blue and peach-colored cottage at 45 Baltimore Avenue. They lived in the basement. Lauren beams, “The place was simple, and phenomenally clean.”
Though they stay in touch with many of their loyal guests, few would deny that running a B&B can be punishment enough for anyone. So after eight years, they moved slightly west to 49 Baltimore Avenue to open a full-time retail store. They bought a house downtown and never miss a chance to run on the beach and bike on the boardwalk. They wanted to keep the store open year ‘round, but it was difficult, because so many of Baltimore Avenue businesses severely limit their hours in the off-season. It just seemed like Rehoboth Avenue was the place to be. So in 2009 Lauren and Lisa re-opened a new Pelican Loft in the Village by the Sea shopping center, sharing year ‘round foot traffic with Arena’s restaurant, Proud Bookstore, the Mizzen Mast and others.
When they moved to Rehoboth, they promised one another that Lisa would complete her Ph.D. in Education Administra-tion. Many a late night would find her poring over her doctorate thesis in the basement of that cute little house. She put her degree to good use, teaching business at Cape Henlopen High School and business/computer education at Beacon Middle School out on Rt. 24.
Though Lauren moved on from the travel industry, she can still put together one heck of a trip when she puts her mind to it. She and Lisa have spent time in the Galapagos and the Greek Isles; even orchestrating a ski safari in Austria.
Before they were together, Lauren biked by herself from Zurich to Geneva. One of the great side-benefits of travel is the plethora of photo opportunities, and both women love to take pictures. No pelican is safe from their startlingly large 300mm telephoto lens. Lauren says it’s only a matter of time before a bystander on the beach calls Homeland Security.
Now in its 14th season, The Pelican Loft continues to thrive. Lisa’s accounting, buying, and payroll management keeps things humming behind the scenes, as Lauren chats up visitors who browse the delightful jumble of goodies.
She has no regrets: “I love to wake up in Rehoboth Beach every day. I’m a very lucky person.”
Bob Yesbek is a Rehoboth Beach resident. Email Bob Yesbek