By Julia Train
On a warm, sunny, summer day, there’s nothing quite like stopping at the deli before the beach.
Boyar’s Market, conveniently located in Ocean City about four blocks from the beach, has anything a beachgoer could want for their day in the sun.
They have sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads, chicken tenders, and numerous other options for individuals with any craving to choose from.
The longtime family-owned market is celebrating its 100th anniversary at its Asbury Avenue location on Friday, April 26.
To mark their century-old business, there will be a grand reopening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a variety of specials throughout the entire week.
Today it’s looked at as a landmark. Here’s how it all started.
A look back
In 1924, Louis Boyar and his wife, Mary, moved from Woodbine to Ocean City and built a produce stand in front of their apartment on Asbury Avenue.
Shortly after the opening of the stand, the Boyars purchased their own house on Asbury Avenue – next to what was known as the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, or A&P Food Market – and placed a fruit and produce stand in front.
At some point in the 1930s, Mr. Boyar decided to expand the business by purchasing A&P Food Market for his own business.
In the late 1940s, Louis and Mary’s daughters, Lillian and Rena, and their husbands, Bernard Blutinger and Irv Newborn, took over the business. The four ran it for 35 years.
In 1981, Lillian and Bernard’s son, Robert, and his wife Sharon joined in the partnership with Lillian, Bernard and Irv.
When Irv passed suddenly in the summer of 1986, Robert and Sharon asked Scott and Gail Ping to become partners. So the couple purchased Irv’s portion and now, along with being a partner, Mr. Ping is also head butcher.
The couple knew Mr. Ping from when he worked for Ballard Meat Company in 1968, delivering meat to the original Boyar’s Market team.
Eventually, Sharon left the business and Bobby Salvucci, who had been a long-time employee, stepped in as partner.
After roughly four decades, Robert Blutinger retired and Bobby Salvucci left. The Pings’ daughter, Lacey, and her now husband Brian Montgomery, stepped in, according to their website.
In 2005, the market was demolished and rebuilt, combining it with their house to become one building. Above the store, there are four condos that the Pings sold when the reconstruction happened.
Ten years later, their second location was opened on the corner of 55th St. and Haven Avenue.
Now, on Friday, the family-owned business that prides itself in being a “local one-stop shop for quality, affordable food” is celebrating 100 years.
For the whole week, there will be deals from produce to prepared foods.
Stop in and check out their quality deli, butcher shop, sandwiches, handcrafted party trays and more on Friday, April 26 at noon. Its 55th Street location will open for the season on May 23.
Julia is a student at Rider University, majoring in multiplatform journalism with a minor in social media strategies. At school, she writes and is news editor for The Rider News and is the News Director for the radio station, producing news updates. She’ll be graduating in the spring. Connect with her on Instagram @juliatrain
