Casa Del Sol Rises Again In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Patricia Ramirez was driving to Dollar Tree one day in February when passed it: an empty storefront in need of a business.

She and her husband, Jorge, had been business owners; they owned Casa Del Sol in Seaside Heights for years and were doing well. Until the fire. And Superstorm Sandy.

"A girl upstairs left her iron on," Ramirez said during a break on Friday. "The fire destroyed everything."

That was in 2010. Friends held a fundraiser and with that, the Ramirezes found a new home for the restaurant, serving their Mexican food from a retail space in the White Pearl Hotel. Then Sandy hit, flooding the restaurant and the hotel along with thousands of homes and wiping them out again.

"We had a good following," Patricia Ramirez said. But as was the case for so many, finding a way to rebuild immediately was just beyond reach. So the couple, who had met when they both worked at the Crab's Claw Inn in Lavallette, turned to other jobs, working anywhere and "everywhere, just to pay our bills."

Having been a business owner, however, Ramirez knew she wanted them to be back working for themselves. That's when she passed the empty storefront at Bellcrest Plaza and knew it was time. With the help of family and friends, they were able to open in mid-May, and former customers from their Seaside Heights days have been very excited to have them back in business.

As for the past bad luck, she said she doesn't worry that something could happen again. "Those (the fire and the hurricane) were just outside events," Ramirez said. "With all the negative, there has been a lot of positive."

"It's very humbling that they remember us," she said.

Brightly decorated with Mexican murals and more, the restaurant offers authentic Mexican cuisine in a family-friendly environment at an affordable price. Ramirez said another business moved in recently, and she is hoping the entire plaza will become more lively in the coming months.

"They have vintage car shows every week and there's so much potential here," she said.

Casa Del Sol is in the Bellcrest Plaza at 953 Fischer Boulevard. You can check them out on their Facebook page, @CasaDelSolTomsRiver.

Photos by Karen Wall, Patch staff