Boomer’s Has New Focus Under New Ownership

OCEAN CITY – To the delight of locals and visitors alike,
one of Berlin’s most well known establishments, Boomer’s Restaurant, recently
opened its doors once again after its new owner took to renovating the
establishment at the closing of summer last year, having it ready to serve up a
variety of American-fare favorites once again this year.

According to co-owner Heidi Butler, she bought the
restaurant only a month after it hit the market back in May of 2006 and soon
sealed the deal another month later, thus beginning the trek down a road Butler
said she believes is sought by many.

“I think that’s a dream shared by probably a lot of
people,” she said about finally having her own restaurant. “I know so many
people who are really great cooks and they would love to open a restaurant.”

It was a dream that took some time to achieve but couldn’t
have come at a better time. After growing up in Pocomoke, Butler attended
college in North Carolina and received a degree in accounting, something she
said comes in handy nowadays when it comes to running Boomer’s.

After working several years as an accountant at Perdue,
she married her husband Dan and left behind the shore and settled in New
Jersey.

As their family grew, Butler said she became a full-time
mom raising their four children and started to invest in and manage real estate
investments in places like Ocean City in her spare time. Last spring she
decided to expand into commercial real estate and that led to Boomer’s
Restaurant.

After opening the doors to the public on April 2, Butler
said the feedback so far has been positive, especially from those who really
matter – the locals.

As for the atmosphere on a typical night, Butler said she
began envisioning what that would be like way back when renovations were taking
place.

“I wanted it to be restaurant with appeal everyone in
Berlin and the surrounding areas,” she said. “I want my customers who come in
here to be comfortable, whether its younger families, singles or senior
citizens.”

The new and improved Boomer’s still carries much of the
American cuisine as it did in the past such as hot and cold subs, pizza, fried
chicken and ice cream. However, it also has a few things Butler picked up along
her travels such as poutine, a Canadian favorite made of fries covered in
melted cheese and gravy.

All of that combined with fresh seafood, such as a lump
crabcake, meaty clam strips and soft shell sandwich, makes for a full menu with
enough variety to please the pickiest of eaters.

After being a customer of restaurants for so many years,
Butler when on to say how one of the most important things she focuses on is
having quality food.

“My biggest duty is a responsibility to the people in the
area to have a restaurant that serves really good food with fair prices in a
friendly atmosphere,” Butler said. “I want a place people want to come back to.
If I can do that, Boomer’s Restaurant will continue its tradition of being a
Berlin landmark.”

Butler said in order for her vision of a booming Boomer’s
to stay on track, she has to rely on the help of her managers, who keep her
informed of the day-to-day operations.

“With me not being there all the time, it’s important that
my managers make sure the food maintains its high quality. When I am there, I
try to help out any way I can,” she said.

Sometimes this includes whipping up some cold treats
herself.

“I must admit one of my biggest talents is that I make the
best milkshake on the Eastern Shore,” she said. “I’ve had customers requesting
I make their mistake.”

The success of Boomer’s so far doesn’t just stem from
Butler and her employees, but from the town itself as well. Due its strong
local presence, Berlin has attracted a lot of people because it is so charming,
Butler added, and said it’s really fun to be a part of this community.

“Berlin is an extremely unique place, just like the mural
painted on the outside of the building,” she said. “It’s unbelievable the town
is almost exactly the same as a picture that was taken almost 100 years ago.
You would be hard pressed to find another downtown with that claim to fame.”

When it comes to future plans, Butler said she has a few
things up her sleeves such as offering daily specials like chicken and
dumplings or meatloaf on certain nights, but nothing drastic so as not to take
away from the grassroots feel.

“I
find it fortunate that luck brought me here,” she said. “Owning Boomer’s has
been a lot of fun and something I’m really proud of. I hope it has a long
future of continued success of Berlin.”