Rude patrons at Beach Haven, NJ restaurant spurs ‘be kind’ notice

BEACH HAVEN — A restaurant owner on Long Beach Island said that some “extremely rude behavior” from a patron has prompted an overwhelming amount of support from the community during a stressful summer.

The labor shortage more than a year into the pandemic has been felt across the state this season, arguably having the most impact in bustling Jersey Shore towns packed with visitors.

A message posted Sunday to the Facebook page of Bistro 14, located at 830 North Bay Ave., urged kindness amid the crunch, following one particular incident the night before.

Karen Vaughan and her husband, Rich, own the restaurant, where Rich is also the chef.

“We are spread so thin with staff shortage, supply chain interruptions — it feels more personal in my own opinion. It shouldn’t be tolerated ever,” Vaughan said in a written response to New Jersey 101.5, adding that she can only speak for her own business and simply wants to support “my staff who has shown us dedication and grit this summer.”

“I am also concerned that there are people who will turn this around as I am complaining about the folks who come to eat and that is not the case,” she continued.

The response to the message to show kindness and patience has been received resoundingly positive, Vaughn said.

A month earlier, at least one Ocean County restaurant made the difficult decision to shut its doors for the summer.

The Corner Post Diner in Brick announced that the "labor shortage" had prompted the call, with hopes of reopening in the fall.

Back in the spring, the labor crunch also was impacting New Jersey farms, as state Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher said he was hearing from farmers who had trouble finding enough workers for this growing season.

With previous reporting by Dino Flammia and Michael Symons