Another Jersey Shore restaurant closes in Commercial Township, NJ

Another Jersey Shore restaurant owner has had enough and closed his doors.

Michael LaSalle hopes to re-open his beloved Red Eyed Crab restaurant on the Delaware Bay in Commercial Township, but things will have to change.

On Facebook, LaSalle summed up his struggles. "Due to the outrageous food costs, and trying to find qualified help down here." LaSalle wrote, "(It's) just not happening."

LaSalle went into greater detail about his situation with a reporter for the Vineland Daily Journal.

One example, he said, was the cost of potatoes. They used to be $17 per box. Now they are $48.

Couple that with the lack of staff, and LaSalle says he just can't do it all by himself.

This story is not unique.

After weathering pandemic closures and restrictions, many restaurants saw a resurgence of business earlier this year. Then inflation hit, and not only were many forced to start raising prices, but fewer people had the disposable income to eat out.

Unlike chain restaurants and multi-location owners, LaSalle is it for The Red Eyed Crab.

He has spent a lifetime in restaurant kitchens, and finally bought his current building about four years ago. After spending his nights and weekends remodeling the property, he had a nice business going.

Now this.

Hopefully, this is temporary.

"I truly enjoyed cooking for all our customers and ya all will be gratefully missed," LaSalle wrote on Facebook, "BUT ITS NOT OVER TILL ITS OVER !!!!"

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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