By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Tim McNamara, owner of the Bubba Dogs hotdog stand, has occupied the same spot at 59th Street and the beach in Sea Isle City for 17 years (https://www.restaurantji.com/nj/sea-isle-city/bubba-dogs-/ ).
During this atypical summer season, McNamara and his employees are wearing face coverings, observing social distancing and standing behind a plastic barrier that protects them and their customers from the spread of the coronavirus.
Yet, in its own modest way, the Bubba Dogs hotdog stand may be an early indicator that things are slowly returning to normal following New Jersey’s three-month shutdown during the pandemic.
Business is up at Bubba Dogs this year compared to the same time last year, McNamara pointed out.
“We’re doing well. Things are really good,” he said.
Not just at the Bubba Dogs stand, there are signs throughout Sea Isle that a somewhat “normal” summer season may be in the offering as the economy begins to emerge from the coronavirus restrictions.
During a spectacularly sunny weekend, people sunbathed on the beach, took rides on their boats and cast lines from fishing piers.
Friends Taylor Barrett and Jordan Paton soaked up the sun while lounging in chairs on a dock at Sea Isle’s municipal marina. Barrett, 23, who lives in Flemington, Hunterdon County, and Paton, 22, of Upper Saddle River, Bergen County, said that their getaway to Sea Isle allowed them to escape the stress of the coronavirus outbreak in North Jersey.
“I feel like everyone is back. It definitely feels like normal here,” said Barrett, whose family has a summer home in Sea Isle.
Paton noted that her local hospital, Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, Bergen County, had been a hotspot for COVID-19 cases. She was relieved that the coronavirus restrictions have been eased, allowing her to join Barrett for a relaxing time at the shore.
“We were under a really strict lockdown for a while,” Paton said.
Susie Callahan, of Ocean View, was getting ready Sunday afternoon to head out on a boat trip with her fiance, Bryan Moran, a Sea Isle firefighter, and members of her family.
“This is wonderful. Last week was the first time we were out,” Callahan said, referring to the lifting of the governor’s stay-at-home orders during the pandemic.
As a local resident in a small town, Callahan explained that she remains concerned about a possible coronavirus outbreak caused by having so many tourists visiting the shore during the summer.
“I’m still a little nervous about the whole thing,” she said. “We have a small town, but now we’re getting all of these people. But I also want the tourism. The local businesses and economy depend on it.”
Giving a boost to businesses, retail stores across the state will be allowed starting on Monday to welcome customers inside their shops for the first time since March. Restaurants have been given the go-ahead to begin offering outdoor dining on Monday in yet another loosening of Gov. Phil Murphy’s restrictions during the coronavirus shutdown.
All restaurants and eateries have been limited thus far to offering takeout orders, curbside pickups and deliveries. McNamara noted that his hotdog stand wasn’t hurt by those limits because “we’re inherently a takeout business.”
As small businesses try to recover from the coronavirus, McNamara said he notices that people have been trying to help them out by shopping at local stores and eateries.
“This, I think, is a conscious effort to shop small and support local businesses,” he said.
Joe and Diana Sosnowski, who have a vacation home on 59th Street in Sea Isle, stopped by to talk with McNamara after spending some time on the beach Sunday.
“You feel like things are getting back to normal,” Joe Sosnowski said. “You see the lines again at Bubba Dogs. You see all of your neighbors and friends again. It’s a nice weekend down here. It’s great.”
Out on the beach, David Will was playing a game of baseball with his sons, David Jr., 7, James, 6, and Patrick, 3. Will, of Havertown, Pa., and his wife, Laura, have a family vacation home in Sea Isle.
The spot that Will and his family and his in-laws occupied Sunday afternoon on the 59th Street beach was far away from strangers. Will said that even on Saturday, when it was more crowded, beachgoers were good at observing social distancing.
“It feels great getting out. Everyone is good, even on busy weekends,” he said.
Will said he and his wife have talked to their young children about the need for social distancing during the pandemic.
“I don’t think they understand about the shutdown,” Will said. “But they do understand about the health issues. They know that people can get sick. They understand that this is why we couldn’t see our friends and family for a while. But now we can.”
