Restaurant Group Buys Second South Jersey Shore Town Eatery

The Pennsylvania restaurateurs who recently bought Trio Restaurant in North Wildwood must really like what they see in the Wildwoods.

Within three months, the three owners have purchased a second restaurant, the Salty Mermaid Bar in Grille in North Wildwood.

The Philadelphia Business Journal is reporting that the Montgomery County restaurateurs purchased the Salty Mermaid for $2.45 million.

Who Are the New Owners?

The restaurant partners, Joshua Friedberg, Orbelin Bitraj, and Gent Mema, closed on  Trio -- including its liquor license --  in early December.

Together, the men own five restaurants in the western suburbs of Philadelphia.

Two locations of Il Granaio in Glen Mills and Phoenixville, Antica in Chadds Ford, Versante in Schwenksville, and The Library in Collegeville. All of them serve Italian food, except for the Library.

The Future of the Former Trio

The casual dining eatery Trio opened in 2021. It was run by a trio of owners, Laul and Debbie Gioquindo, and the restaurant's chef, Gus Zimmerman.

The location had previously been Wes and Cole's Cookery and the Amish Market.

New ownership is planning an Italian food menu for the still unnamed replacement to Trio. Renovations are underway in the space at 700 New Jersey Avenue.

When speaking with PBJ, Gent Mema described his vision for the new restaurant as "hip, sexy, and inviting."

What's the Plan for the Salty Mermaid?

The Salty Mermaid was called Tony's years ago, when I worked and lived in West Wildwood for a year. It was a wonderful time in my life, and I spent a fair amount of time at Tony's and loved it!

So, I have always kept an eye on whatever restaurant/bar was in this location.

According to PBJ, the new owners also love the North Wildwood area, and that's why they acted so quickly in buying another restaurant in town.

The plan is to keep the name The Salty Mermaid and the same super beachy theme.

They are planning changes to the menu.

The new owners will use the same menu they have at their Collegeville, Pa, restaurant, The Library, which serves sandwiches, tacos, salads, and appetizers, as well as entrees such as pasta, fish, jambalaya, steak frites, and several chicken preparations, according to its website.

The Salty Mermaid should be open on weekends by mid-April, and ramp up to daily service by Memorial Day.