Life's a Beach at Gee Gee's

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Such is the case at Gee Gee’s Restaurant and Arcade.  It changed hands in March, yet its menu, its clientele, its atmosphere remain the same.

New owners, brothers Jeff Terry, Madison, and Brian Terry, Brielle – both Manasquan natives – also changed their careers, yet remain the same via their history with Gee Gee’s. 

“We both worked here as kids,” said Jeff Terry.

Brian Terry’s change was a smooth transition:  the entrepreneur owned two bars with his brother, Doug, in Wilmington, N.C., sold them, relocated to New Jersey, and purchased Gee Gee’s located at 201 Beachfront, Manasquan.  While the restaurant doesn’t serve liquor, it does cater to the post-bar crowd.

It was a more radical departure for Jeff Terry. 

“I was a financial adviser and mortgage representative – I was interviewing with Merrill Lynch, and this came out of nowhere,” he said. 

His “lineage” with Gee Gee’s prepared him for the change, as he worked at the establishment 16 years.

Perhaps desiring to leave the Gee Gee’s “empire” of four businesses in good hands, the owner for 25 years, Fred Bryant – whom Jeff Terry said “was like our second dad” – approached the brothers and asked if they’d be interested in buying.

It was a done deal, and both brothers remain loyal to where they essentially cut their teeth in the business.  Brian Terry is the bookkeeper and does back-room operations, but cooks on occasion – his past experience at Jersey Mike’s also prepared him to pitch in at the deli. 

Said Jeff Terry:  “I’m in the kitchen making pizza all the time.  We’re not the kinds of owners who sit back – I do the front of the house, Brian does the back of the house.”

Obviously, with summer in full swing, the front of the house sees a lot of activity, which is how Gee Gee’s has endured more than 40 years. 

“People sold businesses and knocked them down and built condos – this has always been here,” Jeff Terry said.

“This” consists of the restaurant, an arcade, a deli and salad bar, and a beach store.  Jeff Terry said of all the establishments, the restaurant is busiest.  “This is where the majority of business is – it has a much broader menu than the salad bar and deli.”

No sweeping changes have guaranteed this. 

“We haven’t changed at all – all the recipes are the same – continuing the tradition,” Jeff Terry said.

The food, which Jeff Terry said “is made fresh – the salads in the salad bar are made daily.  It tastes great.”

Restaurant items include cheese steaks, pork roll, chicken fingers, hot dogs and burgers. 

“People love our hot dogs and burgers.  The burgers are cooked on a flat-top, not a grill, but they’re good,” Jeff Terry explained, adding, “It’s all high quality food.”

Popular among children are chicken fingers, while adults are interested in hot dogs, burgers, cheese fries, and cheese steaks, which Chef John Girard are his favorite to make as they’re,  “Fairly easy to make and come out looking great.”

Not to be outdone, the salad bar and deli offer subs, sandwiches and wraps with basic cold cut meat; salads; and smoothies.  All “typical boardwalk food,” according to Jeff Terry, which also includes pizza.

“They don’t all bring it on the beach – they eat it here during late night also,” said Jeff Terry, who noted Gee Gee’s bestseller is Buffalo chicken with homemade sauce.

The pizza is a bit more expensive, but are also four inches larger than conventional pies.  Other pizza offered include salad pizza, chicken parm, and Sicilian.  Jeff Terry estimates he sells close to 200 pies on a busy weekend day, either take-out or at the eatery which features a 50-foot counter, and seating for 70 indoors and 70 outside at tables with festive umbrellas.

The restaurant serves “garden variety” breakfasts such as eggs, bacon, pork roll, pancakes, omelettes and breakfast pizza. 

Yes, you read it correctly:  breakfast pizza.  No, it’s not on French toast with berries and syrup.  A unique item, “one that is definitely just available at Gee Gee’s – a Gee Gee’s original – is breakfast pizza,” Jeff Terry explained, saying, “Mozzarella, American cheese, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage or pork roll – whatever you want on top.  It’s been around since I was a kid – it’s like eating a breakfast sandwich, but on a pizza.  It’s amazing – people come and order a breakfast pie every Saturday and Sunday.”

The breakfast pizza is $24 for a whole pie; while the price might seem a bit extravagant, Jeff Terry explained, “We’re at the beach, but most of our menu is comparable to other businesses in town, and compared to places on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant, we’re less expensive.”

Menu prices range from $3.75 for fries, to $25 for a white pie with tomato or broccoli.  The prices obviously don’t deter customers such as Jack Nicholson, who has been in Gee Gee’s on occasion. 

Jeff Terry said, “Late night business is definitely better than it’s been in the last five years, perhaps due to the fact more groups are renting than families,” and said rentals in Manasquan are up 70 percent compared to last year.

There is constant foot traffic at the Gee Gee’s empire, with kids enjoying the arcade, and the after-hours crowd from area bars, who have been known to create a “dance floor” at the booths and tables at the restaurant. 

Clientele during the summer is 90 percent locals, and 10 percent tourists on weekdays, with a 50/50 mix on weekends, and Jeff Terry said, “We have people who have been coming here for 30 years.”

This is good news for Gee Gee’s, however, “The worst is on rainy days,” said Jeff Terry, adding, “I can’t say anything negative – I love coming to work.  Our employees are awesome.”

His staff numbers approximately 70 during peak season, and four during the winter months.  The Terrys kept most of the old staff – mostly in their 20s – but, “The general manager has been here 27 years, he was here two owners ago,” said Jeff Terry.

“Seeing all the people and making sure they’re happy,” is the best part of his day, and, “When I see happy faces, that’s good – especially kids.”

What about his kids?  Does he want them to keep the Gee Gee’s tradition?  “No.  They’ll be working here when they’re teenagers, but I want them to do their own thing,” he said.   “I’ll do it as long as I can do it physically – next 20 years minimum.  What’s better than working 90 hours at the beach?”

Gee Gee’s is open 8 a.m. to 12 a.m., Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 a.m., Saturday and Sunday; and it also offers take-out and delivery.  Gee Gee's telephone number is 732-223-4887.