Business Buzz

Memorial Day … We made it! As we welcome the unofficial start of the summer season and we get ready to dig our toes in the sand once again, it’s also a great time to take a tour of the town and see what is new within the business community. With several shopping destinations and options for dining planting their roots in Sea Isle City and opening their doors this year, we caught up with the business owners for all the latest buzz.

Minnow owners Karina Alonso Cantagallo and Jenna Freda

MINNOW SIC
3514 Landis Ave., Sea Isle City
minnowsic.com
minnowsic@gmail.com

A children’s boutique, Minnow SIC, was opened on May 21 by owner-operators Karina Alonso Cantagallo and Jenna Freda. The store carries children’s clothing, gifts, and toys. To celebrate its opening weekend, all customers who spent $75 or more received a Minnow SIC tote bag.

“We are so excited to get to know more of the Sea Isle community,” Cantagallo says. “We chose this location because it’s close to the beach, which is the heart and soul of our store.”

Says Freda: “We have both worked in the fashion industry for several years and felt there was a need for stylish, beachy, comfortable children’s clothing as well as unique toys and gifts on the island.”

Freda, a full-time resident of Sea Isle City, served as a buyer with the Free Shop in Stone Harbor and loved exploring new trends. She and her husband Carmen have two children, Joey, 4, and Beverly, 2. When she is not at Minnow, Freda enjoys spending time at the beach or running around with her kids.

Cantagallo and her husband Nick split their time between Philadelphia and Sea Isle City with their dog, Luddy, named after Ludlam Island. She worked at Anthropologie HQ for almost six years as a merchandise planner. Outside of work, she loves to travel, spend time with her nephews, and try new restaurants.

Minnow SIC will be open Monday through Saturday, 9am-5pm, and Sunday, 10am-3pm. Customers will also be able to shop online when the store launches its online retail website later this year. The store has also planned special events such as face painting, mask making and themed read-aloud events this summer. Announcements will be made on the store’s social media sites, so be sure to follow their pages.

Tom D’Intino, Heather Garrabrant & Kevin Garrabrant of Green Room Catering

Green Room Catering
4914 Landis Avenue, Sea Isle City
484-318-0380
greenroomcatering.com

Kevin Garrabrant, Heather Garrabrant and Tom D’Intino are excited about their new business venture in Sea Isle City, Green Room Catering. This catering company offers formal dining experiences as well as take-home platters.

“The three of us have worked in the restaurant industry all of our lives and really wanted to venture out on our own,” Heather Garrabrant says. “With the pandemic hitting the restaurant industry so hard last year, we decided that a catering business and private events might just be the answer to our industry’s crisis.”

Together, the trio have more than 85 years of experience in the industry. Kevin Garrabrant’s parents owned a restaurant in Wildwood. For the last 13 years, he was the executive chef at the Yacht Club of Sea Isle City, and his wife Heather worked alongside him as the club’s event coordinator. It was there that the couple met D’Intino, who in 2013 became the club’s sous chef.

“Green Room Catering was created to provide quality food and service to our friends, guests and families in our community,” Heather Garrabrant said. “Whether it is an upscale wedding, corporate event, small intimate gathering, large celebration, private dinner for close friends or a family-style meal to arrive to your home, we will help to create the perfect event.”

Green Room Catering is offering “Grazing Trays” for Memorial Day weekend. These trays consist of an assortment of meats, cheeses and grilled vegetables along with three kinds of hummus. You can also check out the “Trays to drop off and enjoy” menu available all summer long.

“We look forward to serving our friends, guests and family of Sea Isle City, Cape May County and other surrounding areas,” said Heather Garrabrant.