Brian Murphy remembers the first English ale he ever had pulled by hand from a wooden cask. It was at Iron Hill Brewery's location in Media, Pennsylvania. When the brewpub chain closed all its locations at the end of 2025 and its equipment went to auction that December, Murphy decided the same hand pump would suit a brewery he was planning on Bay Avenue, as he told the Press of Atlantic City.
The building he had in mind is now nearly finished at 435 Bay Ave., on the corner of East Maryland Avenue. Maryland turns into Route 152 there and heads toward Longport. Bay Ave Brewery missed its October target. Now it looks likely to open in the coldest, quietest stretch of the Somers Point year. The same is true of most of the town's new arrivals this fall. In 2026, the openings are landing after Labor Day, and they are built to keep their doors open once the beach traffic is gone.
A Brewery That Will Open in Winter
The owners are cousins Tom Dooner and Brian Murphy, both longtime Ocean City summer residents. Murphy's father, Brian Sr., is also part of the venture. They started work on the corner lot in October 2025, the Ocean City Sentinel reported. In August, Dooner told NJ.com that the plan was "sometime in October." He explained a chain of construction steps that had to happen in order. The windows had to go in before the specialized flooring, and the flooring had to be finished before the tanks could be installed.
The tanks are in now. At the October 8 city council meeting, City Engineer Schneider said the brewery was ready for its final inspection and expected to open soon, according to the meeting minutes. On October 14, Dooner told the Sentinel he hoped to have electricity hooked up the next day and gas after that, which would let brewing begin.
"We hoped to be open by now but still hopefully before the end of the year. This week a lot of big hurdles will be finished."
That's Dooner speaking to the Ocean City Sentinel.
The timing shapes what goes on tap first. Ales take a couple of weeks to brew and lagers take longer, so the opening list will be all ales. Dooner told the Sentinel the brewery missed both the Oktoberfest window and the fresh-hop window this year, and that this time next year it will have a special Oktoberfest offering. Winter has its own pull toward heavier, darker beers, but he said the brewery will stick to its standard lineup for now. The Sentinel also reported plans for about ten beers on tap and a six-day schedule, closed Mondays.
The building is just under 5,800 square feet, split between a production brewery and a taproom. Food will come from the neighbors. Dooner told NJ.com that guests will be able to order takeout from nearby Bay Avenue restaurants and bring it in, or have it delivered to the door. The Press named Mexiquila and Caroline's By the Bay among the restaurants close to the site. A taproom with no kitchen of its own works when the restaurants around it stay open. That's why the brewery's success is tied to Bay Avenue being busy in February as well as in July.
In August, NJ.com listed what the brewery needed before opening day: a certificate of occupancy, and a limited brewery license from the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. No opening date had been announced as of late October.
Bay Avenue's Year-Round Brewery Already Exists
Bay Ave will be the city's second brewery. The first is Somers Point Brewing Company on West New York Avenue. Murphy told the Press there was still room for another brewery, and that his goal was "a lot of traditional styles, a lot of lagers."
Somers Point Brewing shows what an off-season taproom schedule looks like here. Its October 2026 update says the tasting room and outdoor seating are open seven days a week. The weekly lineup is mahjong on Mondays, trivia on Wednesdays and live music on Thursdays, according to the brewery's site. That means one brewery runs a full week of programming while the other is getting ready to open.
The summer side of the avenue has already shut for the year. The Point Tiki Bar at 998 Bay Avenue now shows "Closed for the Season" on its website. It will stay dark until warm weather comes back. The new building at Maryland Avenue is an indoor taproom with a porch and a parking lot.
Bethel Road Is Filling In at the Same Time
The second cluster of fall openings is at Ocean Heights Plaza, 319 Bethel Road. It's the ShopRite-anchored center owned by Brixmor Property Group. Ross Dress for Less held a soft opening and then opened on its announced date of October 10, 42Freeway reported. The store took over the former Staples space.
Two food tenants are next. Shore Local reported on October 8 that Dave's Hot Chicken and Jersey Mike's Subs are planned for the plaza. Neither had announced a grand-opening date as of that report. Dave's will be the chain's first Atlantic County location. Its New Jersey locations include Cherry Hill and Sicklerville. Brixmor lists a 3,000-square-foot space for it near Norman's Hallmark, and the outlet reported bold color designs being hand painted inside in early October. The menu centers on Nashville-style chicken tenders and sliders in seven spice levels, from "No Spice" to "Reaper." Jersey Mike's started at the Jersey Shore. Its predecessor, Mike's Subs, opened in Point Pleasant in 1956.
Shore Local said the additions give year-round residents and visitors from nearby shore towns more places to eat and shop. Three national tenants are opening in the same center during the fall, which fits a plaza that serves people all year.
Where Each Project Stands as of Late October
- Bay Ave Brewery, 435 Bay Ave.: Building nearly complete and tanks installed. Ready for final inspection as of the October 8 council meeting. The owners hope to open before the end of 2026. No date has been announced.
- Ross Dress for Less, 319 Bethel Road: Open since October 10.
- Dave's Hot Chicken, 319 Bethel Road: Planned, with interior work underway in early October. No opening date yet.
- Jersey Mike's Subs, 319 Bethel Road: Planned. No opening date yet.
- Somers Point Brewing Company, West New York Avenue: Open seven days, with trivia on Wednesdays and live music on Thursdays.
- The Point Tiki Bar, 998 Bay Avenue: Closed for the season.
- Route 9 and Shore Road: At the October 8 meeting, the city engineer warned about upcoming paving on both roads and told people to expect delays and detours. If you use either road to get to Bethel Road or Bay Avenue, leave extra time.
The Dates on the Calendar Through Early December
The off-season calendar also leans toward the bayfront and toward the town's own traditions. Here are the next dates, in order:
- Saturday, November 7, 8 a.m. The Trail of Two Cities 5K. The point-to-point race runs the length of the Route 52 causeway from Ocean City and finishes at John F. Kennedy Park in Somers Point. Race-day registration opens at 7 a.m. at the Ocean City Transportation Center. Details are on the City of Ocean City's race page. At the finish line, JFK Park's butterfly garden is getting a $5,000 third-year environmental stewardship grant, Mayor Tapp said at the October 8 council meeting.
- Saturday, November 7, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fleming's Pumpkin Run. The 29th annual classic car show fills Flemings Junkyard at 353 Zion Road in Egg Harbor Township with antique cars, engines, tractors, a flea market and food. The rain date is Saturday, November 14.
- Sunday, November 8, 1 to 6 p.m. Galloway Food Truck Festival. It takes place at Risley Square, 319 E. Jimmie Leeds Road, per the Shore Local events calendar.
- Wednesday, November 11. Veterans Day ceremony at Patriots Park, listed on the Visit Somers Point calendar for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Saturday, December 5, 6:15 p.m. The Somers Point Christmas Parade. It steps off at Dawes Avenue School and travels down Shore Road to City Hall. If the paving work reaches Shore Road before then, the parade route will be one of the first places you see the results.
If Bay Ave Brewery's timeline holds, its first ales could be on tap before the parade steps off.
The businesses opening this fall will shape how Bay Avenue and Bethel Road feel in February. If you'd like a real-number look at what your Somers Point home is worth this fall, Alexander Huffard can put one together for you. Get your free home valuation.
