Jersey Shore Magazine
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/141619
Jersey shore People Corn Fritters, Coleslaw, & Chowder, continued from page 39 Cooper says many other employees are locals who have worked for the company for years. "We hire a lot of kids whose parents work here. We've all been around for a long time," he comments. "Most of us have grown up in the area." j e r s e y s h o r e • s p r i n g 2 0 1 3 Moore's Tavern & Sports Bar, Freehold. 40 Since 1999, Chefs International has been owned by the Lombardi family, a partnership of five highly successful brothers who grew up in Edison, all went to Rutgers, and now count among their ranks two orthopedic surgeons, two attorneys, and a dentist. While it may appear there's "too many cooks in this kitchen," Cooper says the reverse is actually true. "They're an amazingly tight-knit family. It's quite a dynamic. It's fascinating, it's very admirable. They're incredibly respectful of each other's opinions." Perhaps most importantly, "the culture is the same. They respect that. They have someone running it who's grown up here," says Cooper. Under Cooper's management, Chefs International has had to face the challenges of a very different restaurant industry than the one Baker first encountered. At that time, there were very few restaurants in Point Pleasant and almost none in Brick. "Now Brick's practically a city, and the chains have moved in. There's so many options," comments Cooper. To survive, Chefs has found that several of their restaurants needed rebranding to better fit the expecta- tions of today's patrons. "Restaurants have moved from dinner houses to more casual venues with live entertainment," says Cooper. As a result, the company transformed the back dining room of Moore's Tavern in Freehold into a sports bar, leaving the front Tavern the historical landmark that it's been since the 1700s. "It's been thriving ever since. It's been extremely successful," says Cooper. A similar transformation took place at the American Bar & Grille in Monroe. "It was a good location but we had a seafood restaurant where we really needed a sports bar," explains Cooper. The introduction of a more casual atmosphere with brick oven pizza, paninis, and wraps added to the steaks, chops, and seafood converted a "struggling" location to one that's "also been very successful," says Cooper. After these two renovations, Chefs International set its sites on the old Toms River Lobster Shanty, reintroducing it in 2010 as Baker's Water Street Bar & Grille, offering a waterfront setting, a casual atmo- Escondido's Mexican Restaurant, Freehold. sphere, and weekly entertainment. Robert Lombardi, Jr., architect for Sonnenfeld and Trocchia in Holmdel, was the designer of all three renovation projects. Yet another highly successful enterprise has been the introduction of a seasonal restaurant, the 9th Avenue Pier, at the Belmar marina. Opened last July, the restaurant and bar is the result of a public/private partnership to capitalize on what was an under–utilized area that is "one of the most beautiful spots in Belmar," says Cooper. With a breathtaking view of sunsets over the water, the restaurant is already a favorite of photography clubs and locals alike. In fact, last summer the restaurant sponsored a "best sunset" photo contest, and they ring a bell each day when the sun dips below the horizon. Of course, the "bread and butter" of Chefs International is still the Lobster Shanty and the Wharfside, says Cooper. Before rebranding Moore's Tavern, Baker's American Bar & Grille, and Baker's Water Street, Chefs International renovated the expansive outdoor Patio Bar at the Wharfside. Today, it's an idyllic waterfront spot overlooking the natural beauty of the Manasquan Inlet and the Fisherman's Cove Conservation Area, known to locals as "the dog beach." Conveniently, a sandbar just off the patio usually has just enough room at low tide for four