Dollars & Sense

David and Janet Twining seized instant success with Nantucket’s restaurant in Fenwick Island when they opened it up 20 years ago, reproducing the taste and charms of New England. This summer, they’ve done it again with the trendy and casual Lobster Shanty, offering a funky twist on the nation’s northeastern region.

Combine years of pizza-making and management experience with a Pennsylvania tradition four decades in the making, and you’ve got Fox’s Pizza Den, a new establishment in Millville that is quickly picking up a following. Throw in a 10-mile delivery radius and extended hours of operation, and you have a recipe for instant appeal.

Budding ballerinas and up-and-coming hip-hoppers now have a new place to learn some movies. X-Squad Dancers have relocated from Ocean City, Md., to Selbyville, in addition to their Crofton, Md., studio.

Erin Vitalos is the co-owner and co-director of X-Squad, along with Devon Cooper and Cheri Demco.

For close to a decade, McCarthy Stones has been one of the area’s leaders in exterior home improvements and landscaping, but recently they’ve expanded their services to cater to even more clients. Customers can now turn to the McCarthys for equipment rentals, as well as tent and tent accessory rentals for any occasion.

Deep in the heart of Indonesia, a tree grows under the careful guidance of the government and plantation owners. The result is a sustainable industry known as teak furniture, and locals can own a piece of it, thanks to Windsor Teak Imports.

Owner Ken Glass and Vice-President of Sales Mike Weso started displaying their teak wares at boat and home shows in the area this past winter.

It can be one of the most frustrating parts of running a small business – you hire new employees and spend good money to train them, only to see them leave for perceived greener pastures a couple of months later.

Local residents and businesses may help those less fortunate in the community by bringing in items to the Edward Jones branch office in Ocean View during regular business hours through Aug. 30. The physical address for the office is 111 Atlantic Ave., and they are located next door to the Coastal Point. The donated items will remain in the Indian River School District.

For the fifth year out of the past six, financial-services firm Edward Jones ranks highest in investor satisfaction with full-service brokerage firms, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Full Service Investor Satisfaction Study, announced Chris Theis, a financial advisor with Edward Jones.

Small nonprofit organizations at risk of losing their tax-exempt status because they failed to file required returns for 2007, 2008 and 2009 – including some local groups – can preserve their status by filing returns by Oct. 15, 2010, under a one-time relief program, the Internal Revenue Service announced this week.

Brandi L. Carr, an oncology nurse with more than 12 years of experience working with cancer patients, has been named manager of oncology nursing and research at Beebe Medical Center. Carr is based at Tunnell Cancer Center and oversees a nursing staff of 27 who are assigned to radiation oncology, medical oncology and to oncology research and performance improvement.

There’s no question that the lineup of cuisine throughout the area is a difficult one to compete with, but brothers-in-law Carl Moyer and Aaron Doyle have seemed to have had no problems stepping into the scene. Fresh baked breads, hand-sliced cheeses and meats to order, and pasta and shrimp salads made from scratch are helping The Chef’s Pantry become the community’s acclaimed delicatessen.

For those looking for the refreshing treat of an ice cream cone or sundae without all the hassle of trying to find a parking space, Beach Plaza Scoops could be just the ticket. Beach Plaza Scoops has old favorites Jack and Jill ice cream and Philadelphia Water Ice. Cone or cup, sundaes, milkshakes or banana splits, the shop could fill a sweet tooth craving for nearly anybody.

Sometimes you have to meet your customers where they are. A good example might be La Bamba – a Mexican restaurant in the heart of Dagsboro that has recently gotten a facelift and changed its name. When asked why she made the change, from Rincón Jarocho to La Bamba, owner and cook Lorena Mora said it was simply because La Bamba is easier for Americans to remember and pronounce.

Running a seafood market is not exactly how David and Beth Long envisioned spending time as grandparents, but nevertheless, the opportunity came knocking on their door.

“Who better to build your home than the man who designed it?”