NEW JERSEY – The second summer of COVID-19 on the New Jersey shore is likely to be very different from last year: Many virus-related restrictions have been lifted, nightclubs and dance floors will once again fill up, and Restaurants and bars can cater to crowds indoors.
Seaside towns are reporting strong beach badge sales as they lower the capacity limits they set last summer to keep people further away from the beach. Ocean City was approaching $ 1 million worth of beach badge sales in late April, the earliest they had hit that mark.
“It’s been exceptionally busy,” said city spokesman Doug Bergen.
The lifting of outdoor capacity limits has cleared the way for large-scale concerts to resume in venues such as the PNC Bank Arts Center on Holmdel, which lists upcoming shows including Luke Bryan, Lady A, and the Jonas Brothers.
Summer rentals are receiving strong bookings. But even as vendors anticipate the return of traffic, tourists and beachgoers, some are struggling to hire staff and get their businesses up and running again. Labor shortages make it difficult for many seasonal businesses to find enough workers. And their supply chains have been disrupted by manufacturers, distribution and delivery companies who are also struggling to recruit.
In at least one place, that means it might be harder to find sprinkles for your ice cream cone.
Raj Kapoor runs a food court on the Belmar boardwalk that includes an ice cream parlor and a burrito restaurant. He said that even simple things like stocking the store with soda are a challenge this season.
A delivery that was promised the next day took a week and a half to show up because the dealer didn’t have enough drivers, Kapoor said. The ingredients for the ice cream cones are on a six-week backorder.
Kapoor has hired 14 workers this summer, in part by posting ads on local schools’ Facebook pages, but it still needs eight to 10 more. That worries him, when all the signs point to a wildly successful season just around the corner.
“Last week, the city is already full of university students; all the rentals seem full, ”he said. “People are eager to get out.”
Alex Krisulas was waiting for a pizza with his friend Ricky Mangine on the Asbury Park boardwalk; The two Staten Island, New York residents plan to go out more this summer than last.
“People are bored and they really want to go out and do things,” Krisulas said. “We hope that things return to normal.”
Tourists are also returning to the Jersey shore, according to Ann Delaney, a real estate agent in Avalon, who said she saw more May weeks rented this year than ever.
“By 2021, renters are comfortable and confident making plans for the summer vacation,” he said. “As a resident, I noticed that last summer it was a little louder. Homeowners and tenants spent more time at home, playing on the sidewalk, hanging out on decks at night, gathering in their patios. With the restaurants, bars, shops and the cinema reopening, I look forward to a more reasonable bedtime. “
New Jersey beaches have been repaired after winter erosion damage that washed away large amounts of sand and left 20-foot drops at numerous dune entry points in places like Bay Head, Ortley Beach and Long Beach Island.
North Wildwood and Avalon carried huge amounts of sand to places that had eroded; Sand was pumped to shore in Atlantic City, and sand moved to eroded locations at Cape May and Cape May Point.
“Otherwise, natural recovery addressed erosion in most places, with a beach a bit narrower than last fall,” said Stewart Farrell, director of the Center for Coastal Research at the University of Stockton.
Atlantic City casinos are hoping the large crowds will make up for last year’s lost Memorial Day weekend, which came when all nine casinos were closed due to the virus.
Tara Smith, who runs a pizza stand on the Asbury Park boardwalk, says the stand operated last summer but lost money during the year. So far this year, business is up 70% over the typical Memorial Day weekend.
“I think this summer is going to be bigger and better than ever,” he said. “A few days before Memorial Day weekend and the beaches are already full. People are dying to get out. “
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