OCEAN CITY — Dining and entertainment options in the 45th Street Village in Ocean City has expanded rapidly over the last two years and now encompasses four restaurants, including the flagship Taphouse Bar and Grille.
All four operate under the same ownership umbrella, providing a unique dining experience within the resort. Over the next few years, the plan is for the complex to grow and develop into what owners believe will be an Ocean City icon.
Each of the four restaurants located in the 45th Street Village bring something different to the table. OC Steamers focuses on seafood, the Drunken Noodle has sushi and Asian fusion, Shallow Waters contains its own brewery and specializes in large parties and Taphouse “anchors” everything together with pub food and a personal atmosphere, according to Jeff Burton, chief operating officer for all of the locations.
“We have diversity here. You can come in here and if you’re here for a week you can go to four different restaurants and never leave the same complex,” he said.
With roughly 20 years’ experience in the restaurant business, Burton acts as the main operator for all four spots under the direction of owner Avi Sibony, who is encouraging in regards to the businesses being creative and trying new things, according to Burton, which translates to interesting menus and unexpected ingredients.
Craft beer is a binding thread for all of the restaurants, especially Tap House, which features 36 specialty brews. Located within Shallow Waters is the Assawoman Bay Brewing Co., which supplies exclusive beers for the operations. Other local craft beers are also showcased.
“We feel like the tourists who come in want to drink what’s local and really it’s easy to sell for us … and you spread the love,” said Burton. “It’s good business because all of us local guys need to help each other. It’s a tough enough business as it is to be in the restaurant business.”
Of the four restaurants within the village, Taphouse opened first in 2012 followed by Steamers, Drunken Noodle and Shallow Waters. Taphouse ties the rest together, said Burton, and is the only one to stay open all winter. Each of the locations has its own personality, however, and employees are encouraged to try to outdo each other, if only for bragging rights.
“I kind of make my restaurants compete against each other. It makes it a fun, friendly competition,” Burton said. “It’s rewarding for them to see each other’s numbers and say, ‘ah, I got you this week.’ But here at our property we are one big team.”
As far as brand recognition goes, Taphouse remains the poster child for the 45th Street Village. Since opening in 2012, Burton confirmed that the location’s sales have been on a steady incline, hopping up year-to-year by as much as 12 to 15 percent. Steamers, Shallow and Drunken Noodle are also seeing success. Because they offer such different experiences, Burton doesn’t believe there’s direct competition.
The extreme proximity is a good thing, he added, since it allows for flexible tastes. If one location has too long of a wait, the next restaurant is only a few steps away. It’s not just the convenience, food and beer variety that has helped establish the area as a hotspot. Being bayfront with wonderful views is an added plus.
“Honestly, we have the best view in town. We are sitting right on the water,” said Burton. “This whole restaurant sits on a six-foot-wide bulkhead and that’s really hard to beat.”
Every seat has access to a view, he continued, and the outdoor seating is wildly popular, especially during sunsets. Sibony has also been working to add some peripheral incentives like a nearby paddleboard and kayak renter, regular live music and events like Beer Fest and Bike Week. Sibony, who has owned many businesses within Ocean City for decades, considers himself a local and said that his goal with 45th Street is to make the area a landmark.
“We wanted to make something new that would be a destination for people in Ocean City to come to and they could spend hours here, lunch in this place, breakfast in this place and they can look for an opportunity to come back during the night for dinner in another place,” he said.
Over the next few years, an effort is going to be made to make the spot even more family friendly while still offering options for adults with things like an expanded brewery. Sibony wants to add playground equipment for kids, potentially some more outdoor seating for parents to watch them and is looking at adding catering services to the location.
There’s plenty of wiggle room for the restaurants to grow into and the development won’t necessarily be confined to 45th Street. Taphouse has a second location on 9th Street on the Boardwalk and Burton is excited about where the brand can go, particularly midtown.
“I definitely see expansion here and growth here. We’re just starting. Most times it takes restaurants two or three years just to get their footing and get stable,” he said. “But Taphouse has become a really well-known restaurant down here in Ocean City. That’s really been good for us because it is like the anchor of this complex.”
For more information visit 45taphouse.com or find the restaurants on Facebook.