TV Star, foodie favorite & Brigantine resident; Nicole Gaffney wonders…. ‘with business & families moving out of Brigantine in record numbers, shouldn’t we encourage development and think outside the box?
When Brigantine can provide amenities like the tasty & healthy ‘Soul-Berri’, it gives residents and visitors another reason to come to Brigantine and stay, says Gaffney.
Is Brigantine business friendly? Find out on Wednesday, June 22nd at 6pm at Brigantine City Hall. The planning board could come to a decision that squashes this excellent idea.
FROM SOUL BERRI: Dear Brigantine business owner, You may have recently received a letter from a local business owner or politician who doesn’t want to see our business open & thrive. This letter is filled with mis-information about our intentions, our plans, and our business as a whole, so we’re writing to set the record straight.
This innovative business would be situated on the unoccupied parking lot, adjacent to the CrabShack, between 11th and 12th st. south in Brigantine.
Soul Berri says this: The opposition is from the Crab Shack and Joe’s Seaside Market. They fear that if we don’t do well, we’ll start selling sandwiches and other products that they sell. We’ve reached out to each business owner, showed them our menu, and offered a legal document that says we won’t sell their products, in fact we don’t have any cooking equipment at all in our container, so it would be impossible anyway. But they would not accept it. We told them it would probably bring them more business and foot traffic, it our business could work in symbiosis with them. But they are still strongly opposed.
We say: BOOOOOOOOO Crabshack. You have great fried seafood…. but you’re well known for your nasty, spiteful way with other business owners in the area. Why hurt a new biz that will only bring more biz to you and the area? As for Joe’s Seaside, let’s say we’re just glad that ACME is close by.
Soul Berri says this: The two biggest arguments were the bathroom – which the city is requiring us to have – and safety. We have addressed the bathroom – which is not a port-a-potty, but an upscale bathroom trailer with hard plumbing – by putting it directly adjacent to our structure, which we will be presenting at the meeting next week.
As for this being a safety concern, opposition claims that by having a busy business in that location poses the risk of having a child run into the street or parking lot and getting hurt. We certainly don’t want to see anyone get hurt, but we find this to be a ludicrous argument. When there is a bustling business district, people simply practice more caution, as they do in other shore communities such as Cape May, Wildwood and Ocean City. But aside from that, we will have clearly marked borders and signage, in addition to crowd control, and will do everything in our power to keep people safe.
We say: Brigantine is well known for having old school insiders do everything they can to kill innovation and entrepreneurship in Brigantine. Especially if the new business is NOT connected to a small group of ‘Mayor Guenther Approved’ friends and family. Often, this group will make stuff up about protecting ‘the kids’. Hmmm…. wanna protect the kids? Put a DUI check-point at the entrance/exit of THE COVE beach area.
DID YOU KNOW? Mayor Guenther’s well paid brother-in-law is in charge of licence & inspections. Nuff’ said.
SoulBerri could be a unique and forward-thinking brand…. serving fun, healthy and family friendly food in the central business district of Brigantine. The menu is small and will consist of fresh homemade Acai bowls, creative fruit/vegetable smoothies, and high quality, locally roasted coffee drinks. That’s it.
Brigantine Island is long overdue for a fun, modern, food establishment that encourages and supports a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
Gaffney: We are not looking to step on anyone’s toes or compete with other businesses, as no one else on the island is currently offering the innovative and exciting items that will be on our menu. Instead, we want to co-exist in harmony with other businesses and work together to create a bustling business district that will attract and retain residents and visitors alike. Our team is made up of three year round Brigantine locals: Nicole Gaffney, a local celebrity chef and TV personality; her husband Chase Gaffney and Will White.
LISTEN to answers from OLD SCHOOL (Guenther/Simpson/Sera) Brigantine leadership talking about local business….
Our venue wìll be made from a shipping container that will be converted into a stylish, modern structure. These shipping container fìt-outs are gaining traction all over the country, especially on the West Coast and nearby cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and right over the bridge in Atlantic City.
Go ahead and Google ‘shipping container restaurants” and you’ll be amazed at how cool these venues can be! Shipping containers are both water and fire proof.
This is not a food truck. This project is a new modular construction, physically connected to the ground. It’s no different than the brick and mortar, just constructed a little differently. They are bringing in new utilities to the site. City water, sewer, and electricity will all be metered and paid for by us. Our container will be hard lined into these utilities.
They met with Brigantine’s construction official. They meet all building codes and health department requirements. They have a triple sinks & an employee restroom with hot and cold water faucets, constructed, plumbed and vented the same way the bathroom in your house or businesses plumbed.
So what gives? File this under same category that the new SEA STAR Surf Shop recently dealt with?
Read: Don’t Compete with Brigantine Insiders
Read: Greenhead Politics.
Read: Killing the Fish-Finder
Read: Holding Business Back in Brigantine
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I have always been in favor of new businesses in Brigantine. You have to have more than a beach & a few local stores. We don’t have a boardwalk, amusements, trendy shops, or top notch restaurants.
When we first moved here, there was the Brigantine Pier. We loved it. It was a place to go. The Brigantine Castle, shops and eateries were a diversion.
Unfortunately, with all the rules and regulations, the pier burned down.
Come on,Republicans, think out of the box. Don’t let Brigantine fail like the casinos that have closed. Just like the Republicans that let the NRA tell them what to do, be an independent…think for yourself.
Child safety is an issue of concern, however check out Ms. B’s ice cream. P.eople are lined up in the street in the dark – that’s a real safety concern!
The meeting is over, the Soulberri project was approved. It’s now time for the prospective owners to step up to plate and prove they were worthy of the unanimous vote they got from the Planning Board.. No doubt there were and still are safety iconcerns with the site. I am convinced the Soulberri owners and their willingness to make the necessary changes will prove the NaySayers wrong. My only hope is that the Soulberri site will not become an unkept eyesore during the seven months out of a year that they will be non operational. I Wish them much luck and success. Unfortunately for you though, your commentary about the City,and the Mayor being against its approval is once again your bias opinion and on going personal spin in attempts to misinform the people of Brigantine. (You couldn’t even get the arial view of the site correct. ) I am convinced your anti Mayor and council comments are only your attempt sell advertising space.
Misinformation?
The real estate tax exempt king Andy “you can’t make it here, trust me” Simpson is enough to sell advertising space alone.
Here is some free advice: Never trust someone that implores you to “trust them”.
Unkept eyesore? You mean like the former Burger King building?
I could never find the restroom on the Water Weenie?
Can someone point me to Aunt Bs restroom?
I am very much looking forward to this innovative business bringing healthy options to Brigantine!