Built to Last: Ventnor’s Legacy Businesses

A vintage “Hello from Ventnor City” large-letter postcard. Image: Boston Public Library, Tichnor Brothers Collection / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).

Ventnor Business Association  •  Ventnor History  •  Business Spotlight

Built to Last: Ventnor’s Legacy Businesses

Shops come and go at the shore. These four VBA members have been here for generations, and they’re still open for business.

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Every shore town has its landmarks. Some are buildings, some are beaches, and some are the counters you’ve been walking up to since you were a kid. In Ventnor, a handful of businesses have outlasted storms, recessions, ownership changes and every trend that’s rolled down Ventnor Avenue. Together, the four members below account for nearly 300 years of serving this community.

Here’s how they got here, and why they’re still worth a visit today.

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George H. Wimberg Funeral Home

Since 1881  •  7300 Ventnor Avenue

Here’s a fact that surprises a lot of people: the Wimberg family was caring for local families more than two decades before Ventnor was even a city. Heinrich Wimberg founded the business in 1881, and it has stayed in the family ever since. Today it’s led by George Wimberg IV, more than six generations and 145 years later.

With locations in Ventnor and Linwood, Wimberg serves families across Atlantic and Cape May Counties with funerals, memorial services, cremation, pre-planning and aftercare. Few businesses anywhere can say they’ve been trusted by the same community for that long, and fewer still are run by the same family that started them.

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Jagielky’s Homemade Candy

Since 1972  •  5115 Ventnor Avenue

On June 30, 1972, Jagielky’s opened its chocolate shop in Ventnor, bringing George Jagielky’s secret Philadelphia recipes to the shore. Those recipes were later passed down to Mike Carr, and the candy is still made fresh daily in small batches, the old-fashioned way.

Ask any Downbeach local and you’ll hear about the buttercreams and the Almond Butter Crunch, better known as ABC. There’s a second shop at 8018 Ventnor Avenue in Margate, and Jagielky’s ships anywhere in the country. That makes it a go-to for holiday gifts, event trays and party favors.

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Florida Cold Cuts

Since 1975  •  7301 Ventnor Avenue

For 47 years, Vern and Marion Sutley ran Florida Cold Cuts the hard way: roasting their own turkey, roast beef and clove-scented ham fresh every day, and guarding their recipes so closely that labels came off the cans in the kitchen. Their chicken salad and tuna salad built a following that stretched well beyond Ventnor.

When the Sutleys were ready to step back in 2022, they didn’t just hand over the keys. The new owners spent weeks learning the routine side by side with them before taking over. The result is a shop that still feels like the one locals grew up with, with house-roasted meats, signature sandwiches like The 7301, prepared foods, and a curated selection of wine and spirits for the weekend.

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AAAA Bike Shop

Since 1978  •  5300 Ventnor Avenue

AAAA Bike Shop likes to call itself a “mom, pop and baby bear” operation, and that’s exactly what it is. Family-owned since 1978, the shop is run by Mike Wiesen and his wife, Ann Marie, and has helped generations of Ventnor families get on two wheels, from first bikes to beach cruisers to serious road machines.

Their philosophy is simple: help the customer, educate the customer, and make sure they leave happy. One of their longest-running traditions is the end-of-season sale of the summer rental fleet over Labor Day weekend, which has turned into an annual ritual for bargain hunters up and down the island.

📍 Visit Ventnor’s Legacy Businesses

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Legacy businesses don’t happen by accident. They last because neighbors keep walking through the door, year after year and generation after generation. The best way to make sure Ventnor’s next legacy businesses get their chance is to keep shopping local today.

Find more of Ventnor’s member businesses at VisitVentnor.com, and if you own a local business, join the VBA.

Hero image: Boston Public Library, Tichnor Brothers Collection / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). Business photos: George H. Wimberg Funeral Home, Jagielky’s Homemade Candy, Florida Cold Cuts and AAAA Bike Shop.