Sitting on the beach near the north end of the Ocean City Boardwalk, visitors are often met with the warm, sugary aroma of freshly made donuts drifting through the air. Follow the scent and it leads to Browns, the beloved family-owned restaurant and donut shop celebrating 50 years in business this summer.
Now owned by Melissa and Jim Brown, the business has spent five decades serving homemade donuts, breakfasts and family memories.
Browns was founded in 1976 by Jim’s parents, Harmon and Marjorie Brown, who were both teachers in Orland, Pennsylvania. Melissa said the couple was looking for a summer venture while raising their five children.
That venture was located between St. Charles Place and First Street.
“They came to Ocean City and saw a restaurant for rent, and they thought it would be a fun thing to try to do, so they rented it,” Melissa said.
The donut tradition started unexpectedly during Browns’ earliest days in business. Melissa recalled a story her father-in-law often shared about a whale washing ashore on St. Charles Place.
Looking for a way to get customers to visit after just opening, Harmon took a tray of donuts to the onlookers and said, “While you’re whale watching, come get a whale of a donut.”
Today, Browns remains a family operation. Melissa and Jim’s four children help run the business alongside nieces, nephews and extended family members. Even relatives from out of state return during the busy summer season.
Despite Ocean City changing over the decades, Melissa said Browns has stayed successful by keeping most aspects the same.
“It’s the same family, the same recipes, the same ingredients. Just the generations of the family have changed. We made it through COVID…We adapted, we changed our menu to have more handheld items to eat,” Melissa said. “I think that’s the secret — consistency and quality.”
The current building replaced the original “little shack” in 1994, but much about Browns has stayed the same — especially the made-to-order donuts, which still come in the same seven flavors the shop has offered for decades.
Melissa said the most rewarding part of operating the business is the relationships built with generations of customers.
“I was thinking how blessed we are as a family in a restaurant to see different families go through births and deaths, and graduations and marriages — all the ups and downs that families have,” she said.
For the Browns, the restaurant has also been the backdrop for raising their children. Melissa said her four kids practically grew up inside the business, spending their summers between the restaurant, the beach and the boardwalk.
“We would bring them in on car seats, and they would sit on the freezers. They would just watch, and fall asleep to the noise of the restaurant,” she said. “As they got older, they would try to help out and talk to the customers, and I would lose them constantly. They’d be on the beach, or they’d be on the jetty, or they’d be helping out.”
Melissa said the experience gave her children both unforgettable memories and a strong work ethic that has continued into adulthood.
“They knew they had to work when they were old enough to work,” she said. “It’s a family business, and that’s just what it is. It’s family helping family.”
Melissa added that working in the restaurant taught her children how to connect with people beyond screens and social media.
When asked about how it feels to reach the 50-year milestone, she said she’s grateful to be able to carry on the Brown family tradition.
“We’re just fortunate to weather the storms and stay together, and still be able to deliver the same product,” Brown said. “That’s just the blessings right there. We’re like a well-oiled machine. We’ve had many years to figure it out, and I’m thankful for that.”
Julia graduated from Rider University in 2024 with a BA in multiplatform journalism and minor in social media strategies. In addition to reporting on local news for Shore Local, she is a social media strategist for small businesses. Connect with her: shorelocaljulia@gmail.com or @juliatrain on Instagram.
