The grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony was not to be.
There was no kick-off party, no balloons, no revelry; the spring car show street fair that would have tied into the festivities so perfectly was scuttled, as was the on-site wedding, the coffee with cops events and just about everything else on the planning board.
After six months of intensively creative and physical work to bring his vision to life, Jason Kramer has had no choice but to adjust to the current reality. And remain patient.
“No one could have seen this coming,” the lifelong Wildwood resident said of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and its crippling repercussions for small businesses at the Jersey Shore. “But we will get through this. In the end, we will still be here and we’ll be ready.
“In the immortal words of King Solomon: ‘This too shall pass.’”
Working out the kinks
Starting this weekend, Kramer’s sparkling, retro-fueled Doo Wop Drive-In will be open seven days a week, serving breakfast and lunch - but limited, of course, to takeout service for the time being.
In addition to the disappointment of not being able to welcome guests into his new digs, the personable restaurantuer began working through the challenges many other local establishments have been facing during a “soft opening” last weekend.
“Quality is best when our guests are able to be seated with one of our meals at their table,” he said. “It’s hard to fix an issue when you leave with food and can’t simply say to the waitress, ‘hey, can you fix this real quick?’
“We really pride ourselves on impeccable service beyond expectations. I’m hoping people realize this and make it a point for when we are allowed to serve again. This will get easier, but we’re going to continue working at it and do the best we can.”
Another change, though an expected one not related to COVID protocols, has been a switch from hand-written tickets to a new computer system for orders.
“That presented some hurdles [last weekend], too,” he said, “but we’re working them out fast.”
Movin’ on up
The Doo Wop Drive-In is situated on the southwest corner of New Jersey & Sweet Briar Avenues in Wildwood Crest - or as Kramer likes to call it:
“The corner where old school meets new school,” at the southern end of the borough’s envisioned downtown district.
The new venture is a major upgrade from the popular Doo Wop Coffee Shop, which Kramer opened at the Tangiers Motel in 2005. This past offseason, he and business partner Bryan Grant and his wife Karen Grant acquired the former home of Tony Luke’s and got to work on a dramatic renovation.
“It’s the newest restaurant building in the Crest, only built in 2010,” he continued. “It has that modern feel. I don’t want to say that it’s bigger than my last place, but let’s put it this way - my old kitchen could fit into the walk-in refrigerator here!
“That increased space will give me the chance to do so much more, things I’ve been wanting to implement for years but couldn’t due to various limitations.”
For starters, the Doo Wop Drive-In will eventually be able to seat approximately 100 people, double the capacity of the Doo Wop Coffee Shop. The spacious dining and kitchen areas will allow for an expanded menu and more service options including, eventually, breakfast delivery.
The future is RETRO
Though the building is relatively new, every aspect of the Doo Wop Drive-In’s presentation screams “1950’s American diner,” inside and out.
The exterior walls have been painted a pristine white, the pre-existing checkerboard striping now white and blue - elements that compliment the stainless steel siding in true “retro” fashion.
“The puzzle came together really well, and we have already been getting a lot of compliments,” Kramer said. “When we lit the whole place up at night back in April, it was like, wow… I couldn’t believe how good it looked!
“[The building] looks almost like Arnold’s from Happy Days, and that’s what I envisioned. It has that authentic Doo Wop, 50’s feel. I didn’t grow up in that era, but I’ve always loved how the Wildwoods have embraced that feel.”
The new location also comes with an adjoining parking lot, which Kramer looks to incorporate into the theme and function of his business.
“For this year, we’re only going to do breakfast and lunch,” he said. “If all goes as planned, we could serve dinner next year, but that’s down the line. So, what I want to do this summer is set up a big screen in the parking lot area and show movies for kids and families on Friday or Saturday nights. Free movies under the stars!
“This will play right into the whole drive-in theme, of course. I’d like to make [the parking lot] a gathering space for events like this, so it sort of has various uses. When you think about what the Crest is hoping to accomplish with our revitalized downtown, I feel that we can play a significant role and be something of an anchor business in this area.
“The term I keep going back to is: ‘epic,’” he continued. “What we have in the works here, what we are creating and bringing to life in this space, I truly believe it’ll be nothing short of epic.”
The feature presentation
As enthusiastic as Kramer is about the look and feel of his restaurant, there’s no mistaking his greatest passion.
“Cooking for our guests, preparing their meals, interacting, coming up with new creations… basically, everything I do in that kitchen is my passion and I love to share it,” he explained. “Im really big on presentation, and I take it as a challenge to continually up my game, whether it’s the food I serve or the atmosphere we serve it in.”
At the Doo Wop Coffee Shop, Kramer earned a loyal following with his expansive menu, highlighted by French toast and pancake “innovators” and a variety of massive omelette creations.
All of the favorites are returning at the Doo Wop Drive-In, plus a whole lot more...
“We will be adding more vegan and gluten free items,” he noted. “More healthy options. I’ve always wanted to serve gluten free pancakes, and now I’m more equipped to meet those needs. Plus, I’m putting waffles on the menu, we’re doing turkey bacon, Nutella French toast, Hawaiian pancakes, peanut butter chocolate chip pancakes, more breakfast wraps…”
A surefire hit will be the “Breakfast Split,” which Kramer describes as being “like a banana split but instead of ice cream, there’s yogurt, fruits and granola between two sides of a sliced banana.”
And then there’s the Son of a Beach Omelette, stuffed with crab meat!
“I could go on and on, forever, basically,” he said, with a laugh. “I just can’t wait for everyone to be able to come down and experience [the Doo Wop Drive-In] for themselves and see all that we have to offer.
“Motels are back in business in the Wildwoods, people are coming down and hopefully we’re getting closer to being fully back. We’ll be here to welcome you.”
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