Dollars & Sense

The restaurant business has come natural for Silver Spring, Md., native Don Wood. As the former manager of seafood restaurants in York, Pa., and Harford County, Md., and the current owner of Ciao Bella Italian Bistro in Long Neck, his experience and knowledge stem well over a decade.

The “C” and “E” of C&E Furniture, one of Selbyville’s long-lived businesses, has stood for numerous things over the course of nearly half a century, and employee Kenny Madara has been there for each. After putting in more time than he could care to calculate, Madara is hanging up his towel, rolling away his dolly, and quite fittingly, retiring on — when else — Labor Day.

Their time working with each other at WGMD, “the Talk of Delmarva,” may have been short-lived, but the bond Walt Lydic has established with his newly appointed wingman, Randy Nelson, will undoubtedly have a lasting affect.

Dan Palazzo’s Gems by the Shore in Bethany Beach has been enjoying some quality face time with new and repeating customers, but upstairs from his shop along Pennsylvania Avenue, his wife, Maria, is following along in his footsteps.

Ice cream shops and candy stores are a staple for any beach-side boardwalk area, but proprietors Richard Fischl Jr. and Mark Watkins-Fischl have found a way to keep customers cool, while keeping their business original.

It may look like a new face in town to some, situated along Route 26 in Millville, beside Al Casapulla’s, but family-owned Seyfert’s has been bringing original snacks and sweets to the lower Delaware region for nearly a decade.

Aquacare Rehabilitation Services Inc. is bringing a new wave of healthcare to the area. This week, the clinic celebrated their grand opening in the Millville Town Center, kicking off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday.

House Pets in Millville has reopened in a big way. After a brief hiatus, the pet store has returned to Creek Side Plaza, along Route 26 — this time, expanding from their previous 2,400-square-foot establishment to 6,000 square feet. And, more room means more focus on local pet owners and their four-, two- and no-legged friends.

For Pennsylvania native Bill Welham, running Ocean View Seafood has become more than an occupation. Since his move to the area roughly two decades ago, it has become more or less his life, and why not? He spent much of his early life on the open ocean, and even ran his own restaurant back home.

It’s been over nine months since New Face in Town salon moved its location from Coastal Highway in Fenwick Island to Williamsville , but the crew celebrated their upgrade this past weekend with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting with the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce.

For just three weeks, The Gallery on Central Avenue has been in operation, replacing Iron Age Antiques, which stood there for more than three decades. But it already has people turning their heads.

While her Rehoboth store in the Village by the Sea is preparing for its 19th summer, owner Joan Thompson’s new Anything Goes in Bethany Beach will try its hand at its Route 26 location for its first big season.

It’s not every day you stumble across a jewelry store in the area that’s run by a certified master jeweler, though two-month-old Gems by the Shore isn’t your everyday jewelry shop.

As summertime dawns upon us, families take to the beach for relaxation and good eats, but restaurants along the shoreline aren’t the only ones making a splash with returning vacationers. In fact, locals and out-of-towners alike have been known to go out of their way to grab a bite at one of Delaware’s best-kept secrets: Millsboro’s own Bluewater Grill.

For Kate Minutoli, the idea of bringing a skate shop to Fenwick Island wasn’t a matter of “Why?” but rather, “Why not?”

As if running a local fitness center and gym, and establishing an entire football league wasn’t enough, Lewes native and Cape Henlopen High School grad Tony Hall has brought a local business to West Fenwick Island that is unique to the area.

Dr. Kimberly Grimes has pretty much seen (and done) it all.

After earning an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University in North Carolina and a doctorate from the University of Arizona, and, currently, taking on the role of an anthropology professor at the University of Delaware, Grimes has accomplished things that many wish they could.

After some time in the location, the health and beauty salon A New Face in Town left Ocean Bay Plaza in Fenwick Island. But last month the property, located beside Jimmy’s Kitchen, saw another new face: Danielle Lucas.

Pyramids of cantaloupe and watermelons; piles of corn still in the husk; fresh berries and peppers nestled in cartons along the shelves. Everyone has seen Jimmy Robinson’s stand along Route 26 in Ocean View, but few know just how far it’s come.

Running her family’s restaurant, the TC Diner, may seem like a drastic step from the time she spent as a coordinator for “The Late Show with David Letterman,” but Meral Yilmaz said she couldn’t be happier.

Still a fairly young company, 3-D Tile Inc. has been making a difference in home remodeling and contracting for nearly four years now. The company, which started as 3-D Construction, is the brain child of owners and employers Matt Mitchell and David Long, two Sussex County locals and graduates of Indian River High School.

Bethany Beach Diner and Maui Wowi may have spent a considerably short time along Garfield Parkway, but the two food-service establishments will soon make way for a new dining experience: The Penguin Café.

With temperatures slowly creeping up as summer approaches, locals and seasonal homeowners will soon be sliding open their patio doors and starting up their grills. And that sound is music to the ears of Dustin Shepherd and Kebbie Crout, owners of West Fenwick Island’s Hit the Deck Patio Warehouse.

For 16 years, “Mattress Bill” Reid has made a name for himself with his store, Mattress Unlimited Inc., along Atlantic Avenue in Ocean View. But the time has come, he said this week, to move on. The 78-year-old business man, originally from western Baltimore, said he has enjoyed a successful run and couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

Same name, same service, even the same contact information. Cindy McCabe wants to let everyone know that the only thing that is changing about her business, Bethany Travel, is the location.

John Dux said he had his work cut out for him when he became owner of The Quail in Fenwick Island, but his pub and restaurant is finally getting to where he always envisioned it.

For 15 years, Bethany Cycle and Fitness has been prospering along Route 26 at their shopping center location. But owner Alton Jones has his sights on the store’s reopening this spring, when they move into the Tropicana Sun building, which was formerly Happy Harry’s and is currently undergoing renovations.

No other businesses in Selbyville can claim they’ve stood through what Scotty’s Menswear has seen. And, unfortunately, the four-generation family-owned clothing store that has tailored generations in the area will soon be a thing of the past.

Most people wouldn’t presume that a 24- and 20-year-old sister and brother duo would own their own family business. Megan Brosnahan and Eric Brosnahan, however, are anything but your typical 24- and 20-year-olds.

This coming Wednesday, love will be in the air, and that spells particularly good news for some local businesses. Many restaurants will reap the benefits, with specialized servings for couples, and there are others who look forward to Valentine’s Day as well.