By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Sea Isle City officials Tuesday approved a liquor license transfer that is a key part of plans by Anthony’s Restaurant to move across town into space formerly occupied by the Beachwood Restaurant.
Anthony’s is relocating from the corner of 44th Street and Landis Avenue to 86th Street and Landis Avenue inside The Dunes restaurant, banquet and condominium complex in the Townsends Inlet section of Sea Isle.
Voting 5-0, City Council approved the transfer of the liquor license formerly owned by MRG Liquors LLC to 86 Overbrook Park LLC. Sea Isle developer Christopher Glancey, the owner of The Dunes complex, is a principal in MRG Liquors. Anthony Foster, owner of Anthony’s Restaurant, is the principal of 86 Overbrook Park.
Glancey and Foster sat together during the Council meeting, but did not address the governing body. In separate interviews after the meeting, they declined to reveal the purchase price for the liquor license, but noted that the deal closed on Tuesday without any hitches.
“It was smooth and easy,” Glancey said.
As part of their deal, Anthony’s will lease space from Glancey in The Dunes formerly occupied by the Beachwood Restaurant. Last December, Anthony’s announced that it had bought the Beachwood for an undisclosed price. Beachwood had operated in Sea Isle from its base at The Dunes since 2019.
Anthony’s new location will keep the Anthony’s name and is expected to open May 2, Foster said.
“We’ll spruce it up a little with some cosmetics. We’ll put our Anthony’s touches on it,” Foster said of renovations to the building.
Foster said the new location for Anthony’s will be predominately an Italian restaurant featuring fresh seafood, steaks and chops. He said an important aspect of his plans for the restaurant is to buy locally sourced food from farms in the surrounding area.
The acquisition of the Beachwood provides Anthony’s with a spacious new facility that includes a banquet room similar to their Pennsylvania restaurants, Anthony’s Ristorante at the historic Lamb Tavern and Anthony’s at Paxon Hollow Country Club.
Two key advantages of the new Sea Isle location are the larger banquet space and the liquor license, which will allow Anthony’s to cater to larger events, the restaurant said.
In a related deal, Anthony’s will rent out its current location at 44th and Landis to Blitz’s Market. Ross DelRomano, owner of Blitz’s Market, will continue to operate the existing Blitz’s Market at 85th Street and Landis Avenue in Sea Isle as well as the new site at 44th and Landis, Anthony’s announced last December.
