From Recovery to Expansion
Since opening its doors in 2010, DJ’s Delights has become an Asbury Park hub. The downtown deli and catering service is a place where loyal customers keep their spare keys, have packages left for pickup, hold neighborhood meetings, and share their names and stories with the two men who run the show, Ron Wendolowski and Dwayne (“DJ”) Presto. Ron says that people call DJ’s the “Cheers of Asbury Park.” In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, DJ’s lost power for almost three weeks, costing the business its entire food inventory and thousands of dollars in lost revenue. If not for a $48,000 low-interest loan from REBUILD New Jersey, NJCC’s disaster recovery loan fund, DJ’s may not have been able to replenish lost perishables, reopen its doors and continue serving its loyal customers.
“Being a small-business owner is not easy, and we know from experience that it is very difficult to get funding from banks. So it is great to have a resource like NJCC to support the community and help small business owners thrive.”
– Ron Wendolowski, Co-owner of DJ’s Delights
Yet even then, the co-owners were already thinking beyond recovery. Ron and DJ realized after the storm that many of their patrons needed a grocery market within walking distance and that it was a need they could fill. So they came to NJCC for a second loan, and within the year, DJ’s was selling quality produce and goods to residents and visitors.
Being a small-business owner is not easy, and we know from experience that it is very difficult to get funding from banks. So it is great to have a resource like NJCC to support the community and help small-business owners thrive. We trust them, and we will continue to look to them as we seek new opportunities to grow.
In seeing past a difficult time and recognizing the opportunities ahead, DJ’s showcased the resolve for which community-based small businesses are known. The market exceeded expectations, and 2015 was DJ’s most profitable year to date. Meanwhile, DJ’s opened a new location at Asbury Tower — an affordable 350-unit senior center—and now delivers meals to residents’ doors. Once again, DJ’s turned to NJCC to provide the capital it needed to grow.
Now, DJ and Ron have even more names to remember.
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