WCEC Storming Back Stories: Beach Shack Deli Was Devestated by Sandy, but Predicts a Positive Future

The tagline for the Beach Shack’s take out menu reads:  Enjoy the summer 2013.  And that is when Matt and his parents have been doing since Memorial Day weekend when the deli opened for its third business season.   Matt, a 25 year old “surfer dude” who lives in Point Pleasant for the summer to run his deli, came back early from Los Angeles to restore the business after Sandy hit.  This year marks his third season. 

Like many houses on Ocean Avenue, four feet of water flooded the deli and the high winds broke all the windows.  The deli cases and interior items had to be completely replaced costing many thousands of dollars.  Luckily, the exterior structure suffered little damage.   At the end of the day, the store had no flood insurance and Matt even had to sell his car to raise money.

The deli is a “family affair” and his mother Carleen and father Matt Sr. pitched in to help with the clean up and get the deli up and running.   His parents, who live at the beach year-round, have seen many storms hit the Jersey Shore, but none as devastating as Sandy.  In recalling Sandy, Carleen says, “the entire area was flooded, we went weeks without power and sand was piled everywhere.  My family is strong and as always pulled together to get things done.  The deli is my son’s main source of income, so this had to get done and quickly. The goal was to be open for the big weekend of Memorial Day, and we did it.”

Matt, who gets to the deli every morning at 5 a.m. to scramble eggs and gets ready for the busy breakfast crowd, grew up at the Jersey Shore and was a lifeguard for five years.

His positive attitude and cool demeanor is what customers like most about him.  With Matt cooking and his mom and dad helping behind the counter, they have a created a warm and friendly atmosphere for customers.   

“I am really thrilled with the summer so far.  Point Pleasant is a great place to visit, take kids to the boardwalk and play games and this is a really popular place to come.  It has been packed this summer and business is booming.”  Matt never had one doubt that the deli would be re-opened and he did it all himself – with no help from government grants or relief funds- just hard work.

To learn more about this business and others affected by the storm, please visit http://bit.ly/19EYgjm. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the WCEC’s “We’re Storming Back” Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Program provides free workshops, training, and resources to New Jersey businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy to help them to recover and thrive. 

About The WCEC

The WCEC, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit corporation, is a U. S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center.  The WCEC provides the tools for individuals to successfully own, operate and grow their small businesses, thereby investing financially, intellectually and emotionally in their communities. The WCEC provides more than 150 classes, seminars and individual consulting sessions each year for more than 5,000 participants. For more information please visit www.wcecnj.org/.

Beach Shack Deli 

216 Ocean Avenue

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 

732-899-2443