Optimistic Sub & Pizza Owner Smells Success in Ocean City

Ocean City, Maryland

It's the first weekend of reopening Ocean City, Maryland. And owner Oliver Janev, is busy along with co-owner Vasko Jankovski in the kitchen on the grill.
The phone is ringing with a steady flow of hungry visitors entering the sub and pizza shop ordering while practicing social distancing. "It was good. I'm just trying to get through summer," says Janev as he smiles.
To talk with Oliver Janev, it's like listening and looking at a pro-wrestler from the WWF. His high and upbeat attitude comes across strong, and that will get him through the summer. "I'm already down 40-percent, but I'm happy". As beach-goers enter the sub shop, he laughs and asks them to take a photo for this article. "You see, they are social distancing." Janev and Jankovski had to put in Plexiglas at the counter and signs outside the shop promoting social distancing.
His biggest problem is "no employees." He continues to explain, "I don't have workers. I need workers." Small businesses all over Ocean City are finding themselves without workers. The resort town relies heavily on overseas workers for summer, but with the corona-virus in play, many are left empty-handed. So to adapt, he and Jankovski made the menu smaller, "it will be easier to have fewer items on the menu." The idea is to keep the pace moving fast while feeding his regulars and newcomers.
Janev is ambitious, and he loves working. Jankovski never looks up from the grill, head down the entire time cooking up subs and sandwiches. If you look at social media, people love their food. Reviews range from tasty to the best cheese-steak sub ever. June 20th officially kicks off summer, and the corona-virus will still be spreading around Maryland. Still, Janev and Jankovski are hoping to be spreading happiness in the way of subs and pizza. OC Bites located at 3007 Philadelphia Ave. A second location is on the boardwalk.