SJM 322 Shore Dept - FINAL - R3_Dept 3 / 25 / 22 4 : 01 PM Page 4 logical damage , people who are blind or deaf , any family member with a disability can come and enjoy it . It’s an opportunity that doesn’t exist anywhere else . ” BUSINESSES ’ BOOMS AND BUMPS With pivoting business models becoming a familiar hallmark of COVID , adapting a tourist haven to “ the new normal ” yielded some salient lessons that their owners took to heart . “ We’ve learned a few things , like how much people enjoy outdoor dining and shopping , ” says Berger . “ Outdoors is really the key , and we’re lined up to really give that to the people who come to Margate . ” The region’s businesses are still feeling the pinch of staffing chal - lenges , however . For those who wanted to believe that the end of mask mandates signaled relief from all of the issues that came to a head during the pandemic , that dimin - ished employment pool could create lingering service delays or unan - nounced closures some Shore - goers weren’t expecting . That could , however , be good news for those who need summer - time jobs . “ Now is the time if you’re looking for seasonal work , ” Pepenella says . “ When we post jobs , we’re able to get interested job - seekers , not just for seasonal work but any type of job . There is definitely a good opportu - nity to find employment down the Shore , so I would suggest esearching what kind of work you’re interested in and making those connections . ” STILL SHORE TO PLEASE While our seaside towns promise to be more popular destinations this year , those returning crowds do signal a celebratory return to the lively , vibrant Shore of before , and every town is ready to welcome back those visitors who’ve missed their quintessential Jersey Shore summers . “ I know prices are going up but , for the average family , it is still affordable to come to Ocean County , ” Vicari says . “ One thing I can guarantee is that when people come here , they’re happy , they’re smiling — they don’t want to see what’s on TV , they want to go out and enjoy those ? personal experiences . ” SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 18 issue 12 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | 21