Bob
breathes new life into Atlantic Café
WILDWOOD
– Bob Mulholland’s loyal customers are now going to a new
location to get abused.
Mulholland, who’s just as likely to serve up a good-natured
insult to a regular customer as he is to serve a scrumptious
western omelet, is the proprietor of Bob’s Atlantic Café at Burk
and Atlantic avenues, almost directly across the street from Fox
Park and just a block from the Wildwoods Convention Center.
Taking over from the former Atlantic Diner, Mulholland has been
open at his new location since December after spending
approximately two decades at the Aqua Beach Café, which sat on
the ground floor at the beachfront Aqua Beach Motel in Wildwood
Crest.
Mulholland says the new location seats about 50 more customers
than the previous one at Aqua Beach. He says business has been
thriving ever since he opened at the new location.
“The location is phenomenal,” says Mulholland, 46, a native of
the island who resides in Wildwood Crest with his wife Terri,
and children Bobby, 20, Lauren, 17, and Morgan, 10. “Being on
Atlantic Avenue, we’re getting a lot of new business. When I was
at Aqua Beach, if it wasn’t for the regulars, I just didn’t get
much else (business) because a lot of people just didn’t know we
were open in the wintertime.”
Mulholland’s restaurant is laid out as a classic old-time diner,
with a counter facing the open-air grill. There is also plenty
of additional seating at numerous tables.
His menu includes all the traditional breakfast and lunch
favorites, but he also serves homemade soups and salads and,
because he now has much more kitchen space, has begun cooking
and slicing down his own turkey and roast beef, and even
occasionally serves homemade pies and cakes.
“We’re cooking more and more of our own food right here,”
Mulholland says.
His new location also has more cold and dry storage space,
increased parking and has a solid staff of employees, many of
whom work year-round or come back each summer season.
“It’s nice having really good year-round employees,” Mulholland
says.
Despite his early success, Mulholland says he does miss the Aqua
Beach Café.
“What I probably miss the most is that my kids and a lot of
other kids were raised in that coffee shop at Aqua Beach,” he
says. “I had a lot of kids from Wildwood and Wildwood Catholic
(high schools) work for me over the years over there. I also
miss being right off the beach and being able to see the sun
rise in the morning. I really appreciated being down there all
those years.”
Mulholland’s new restaurant, which serves breakfast and lunch,
is open 6 a.m. to approximately 1 p.m. daily, although those
hours may be extended come summertime.
“We’ve already had a couple Saturdays where we’ve been here
until 5 o’clock,” he says.
Mulholland credits much of his new business to the Wildwoods
Convention Center.
“The Convention Center people deserve a lot of credit. I don’t
think a lot of people in this town realize how much those people
over there do for the community. They bring a lot of people to
town with the different events they have, and I know they’re
always telling people about our place and sending them over
here,” Mulholland says.
Mulholland says he also has gained lots of business through his
association with the Days Inn Motel across the street from his
location.
Mulholland is optimistic that the upcoming summer season will
help his business even more. But he’s also quick to mention that
his regulars – the many year-round people who come to his
restaurant daily, or at least a few times a week – are the
backbone of his business.
“The locals around here are the ones who really helped me build
this up,” Mulholland says appreciatively.
Even the ones he good-naturedly abuses on a regular basis.
Brian Cunniff can be e-mailed at
cmcgazettesports[at]yahoo.com or you can
comment on this story by calling 624-8900, ext. 250.
Rob Seitzinger can be e-mailed
at seitz[at]catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by
calling 624-8900, ext. 250.
Check out his Cape Cuisine food blog