Once again, the summer season begins in Ocean City, Maryland. All things are possible. Cruising OC weekend was spectacular, thanks to perfect sunny weather on Saturday. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the town packed so tight on the third weekend in May. A few hot rodders left behind a bit of burned rubber. You’ll see… [Read more…]
September 19, 2011
More than usual, it feels like something is ending in Ocean City this September. But take this report with a caveat: Events and perceptions often appear distorted after a long summer season, to those who remain when the visitors go home. This year, Hurricane Irene put an exclamation point at the end of the season. Ocean… [Read more…]
July 3, 2011
Brice Phillips, founder of the iconic Phillips Crab House in Ocean City, MD, died Friday at his home in Ocean City. He was 90. Mr. Phillips and his wife, Shirley, grew up on isolated Hoopers Island, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and started their restaurant empire with a carry-out crab shack in Ocean City in 1954.… [Read more…]
May 1, 2011
Ocean City Season, 2011 Many years ago, in the 1970s, we opened the Boardwalk 5 & 10 for Easter weekend, but rarely saw much business in Ocean City before Memorial Day weekend. In those days, the season began on the Friday before Memorial Day, and ended promptly at noon on Labor Day. These days, the… [Read more…]
January 5, 2011
I wonder what the global economy will bring us on Main Street America in 2011? As a public service, your Ocean City Blog presents a sampling of business opportunities available in Ocean City, Maryland, this winter. I’m not recommending any of these businesses, mind you; just showing the variety of opportunities out there. I imagine there… [Read more…]
December 14, 2010
Black billboard with gold lettering, at the intersection of Rt. 50 and Rt. 589, announces casino gambling at Ocean Downs. After many delays, the era of slot machine gambling is about to begin at Ocean Downs. The grand opening is scheduled for Jan. 4, barring last-minute hitches. The new casino needs a final certificate from… [Read more…]
November 29, 2010
New restaurants have a notoriously short life expectancy. And it’s no secret that we’re in a difficult economy. But I figured that Boog’s Barbeque on Route 50, just outside Ocean City, MD, would be a home run, or at least a solid hit. Boog’s Barbeque has been thriving on the Boardwalk, next to Thrasher’s, for years.… [Read more…]
October 17, 2010
Sobering story by Martin Fackler on the front page of The New York Times, Sunday, 10-17-2010. The headlines: Japan Goes From Dynamic to Disheartened Retrenchment Offers the West a Grim Vision of the Future The Great Deflation Coping With Decline Summary: “Since about 1989, Japan fell into a slow but relentless decline that neither enormous budget… [Read more…]
October 14, 2010
Small business is wonderful, but the era of the mom-and-pop corner store is long past. Try as we might, not everyone can be an entrepreneur. Is small business the engine of job growth? I think that’s an urban myth. Small businesses are, by definition, SMALL. They employ very few people, and grow very slowly, as a… [Read more…]
October 14, 2010
Everyone in Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset Counties is a small business owner or a farmer. That’s the impression you would get, listening to the Maryland General Assembly District 38 candidates during a debate at Wor-Wic Community College on Wednesday night. Welcome to the Lower Eastern Shore, home to small business people and chicken farmers. All… [Read more…]
May 23, 2012
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