Wildwood’s newest restaurant and bar, featuring a Nashville flavor, had a big opening weekend, according to its owner, serving thousands on its opening weekend. It was a busy weekend in Wildwood with a number of events, most notably a rally held by former President Donald Trump.
The Wildwood Honky Tonk Saloon took over a space last occupied by an arcade at the Boardwalk Mall, a multi-use building featurjng restaurants and shops with access to East Garfield Avenue.
What owner Sean Dougherty said was a dormant space to store aging arcade equipment was rebuilt into an entertainment mecca. Doughtery and his business partners bought the entire mall building for about $2.8 million, spending about $750,000 to complete the conversion, he said.
The saloon officially opened for the weekend, but a soft opening was held Thursday.
“As a business owner, you’re always looking at if you’re going to open up another bar, how do we differ?” Doughtery told NJ Advance Media on Friday about an hour before the official opening. “There’s no country bars in Wildwood or even this area, so when we first put the rendering online, the reaction was off the charts.”
Honky Tonk adds to Doughtery’s business investments at the Jersey Shore. He also owns Capt’n Jack’s Island Grill, another bar and restaurant at the Boardwalk Mall, steps from the new establishment’s entrance.
The bar opened at 5 p.m. Friday, celebrated with a ribbon-cutting in front of a flock of people who’d become its first official guests. Photos shared online showed people packing every corner inside.
Customers watched live music over the weekend, dancing first to Brian McConnell, an up-and-coming country singer.
Late Friday afternoon, a small crowd formed outside Honk Tonk’s front door on Ocean Avenue, enduring cold air and gusty winds. The line gradually grew to wrap around the building’s corner onto East Garfield Avenue. Cowboy hats were handed out to those in line to liven the southern feel once they were allowed inside.
Gail Stewart, a Wildwood resident since 2017, was the first in line, drawn to the place weeks ago by a flurry of social media posts. She and her boyfriend were one of Honky Tonk’s first guests.
“We went across the street, got a couple of pictures with the bar behind us, and then we were here, and then all of sudden, everybody else just started following after,” Stewart, 52, said about kickstarting the line.
Inside, a stage in the corner lets performers peer out into an open space where line dancing will be held. Flashing arcade games amuse those looking for childhood-type fun.
Wildwood has become a New Jersey home for the country genre through the Barefoot Country Music Festival, a multi-day event each year headlined by top acts. The event and a trip to Nashville, Doughtery said, influenced his choice of theme.
“This is what I live for,” Doughtery said. “We tore this down to the bare bones. We just had fun with it. It’s an exciting process.”
“I’ve seen what Wildwood was, what it is and what it can be,” Dougherty added.
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Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.
