L.B. Chamber holds ribbon-cutting ceremonies

The Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, along with State Sen. Todd Kaminsky and the City of Long Beach, celebrated the addition of two new chamber members on Aug. 26: Sean Sullivan, owner of Beach Local Café, and his wife, Kelly Sullivan, a financial adviser at Edward Jones Investments.

 “Long Beach is proud to have the Sullivans back where they belong,” said chamber board member James Lynch.  “We all know what an important role Kelly and Sean played in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the chamber welcomes them with their endeavors.  With Sean on the boardwalk, and Kelly on Park Avenue, Long Beach will be well served.”

“I’m thrilled to see so many small businesses opening and thriving in Long Beach,” Kaminsky said in a statement.  “We’ve come along way since Superstorm Sandy, and still have much more work to do, but Long Beach is proving, day in and day out, how resilient it is.”

 “Long Beach is home to a wonderful and thriving business community,” added City Council President Len Torres. “We wish Kelly and Sean all the best on their new ventures.”

After briefly relocating to Virginia, the Sullivans returned to Long Beach last December. Sean, the former owner of Swingbellys — which sustained major damage after Sandy — opened Beach Local Café over the July 4 weekend at the Grand Boulevard comfort station, part of a boardwalk makeover made possible last year when the City Council voted unanimously to approve an $8.6 million project — reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency — to build the facilities after the 2012 storm.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the boardwalk reconstruction post Sandy,” said Sean, who thanked Kaminsky, city officials and the chamber. “This year was a great kick-off for the new establishments on the boardwalk, and next year will be even better.”