For towns like Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, the summer season is the busiest time of the year. Citizens rely on this three to four-month stretch for the majority of their business, brought in mostly by visitors enjoying the Jersey Shore. 

New Jersey banked $46.4 billion thanks to tourism last year, and about 48 million people stopped by the state's beaches in 2018. This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Governor Phil Murphy's mandates have kept amusement parks, aquariums, and many local businesses on the beach closed to protect the public health. Restaurants can't serve dine-in customers, meaning all options have to be available to go. 

"That's their decision, not ours," said Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Paul Kanitra.

Local mayors like Kanitra are in a tough situation. They're struggling to find ways to allow local commerce to thrive while keeping everyone safe. Point Pleasant Beach, in particular, has a large senior citizen population, so the coronavirus is a major public health concern.

Though some of its beaches opened with the rest of the state on Memorial Day weekend, Kanitra was concerned about a smaller-than-usual police force. Because of delays in training and other coronavirus issues, he only had one-third of the officers he would usually have at his disposal at that time. Now with additional support, he's hope he can lift all remaining parking restrictions and welcome back non-residents starting on Friday. 

That also means preparing the town for an influx of people. One of the main attractions, Jenkinson's Boardwalk, was closed until May 29. Up and down the boardwalk, people were spraying hand sanitizer on all surfaces. They were also installing hand sanitizer dispensers at access points. An LED sign reminded people to stay six feet apart and not to touch. 

"We're trying to take care of the logistical aspects of things," Kanitra said. "We're looking at the benches, tables, and chairs on the boardwalk trying to make sure they're spaced accordingly." 

While not everything can open up, several businesses on the boardwalk, including a Dippin' Dots stand, were preparing their stores for customers. Usually Jenkinson's Boardwalk employs about 1,300 people in the summer season. This time, they were able to bring back a few hundred. Some will be working at establishments that are allowed to be open, while others will be hired as "social distancing ambassadors" reminding people to keep their distance. 

"There's no energy like the Jersey Shore energy in the summer, and we're really excited to be getting back into that," said Jenkinson's Boardwalk director of marketing Toby Wolf. Off the boardwalk, Red's Lobster Pot has been serving customers for over two decades. It's a casual spot, where people usually line up for up to two hours to grab a lobster roll. The business is open, but you'll have to call ahead to place your order or stop by to talk to a cashier behind a plexiglass window. An employee will then deliver your order to your vehicle. 

Red's has set up a reservation system so they can space out customers when they are allowed to have diners. Until then, they're anxiously waiting for the go-ahead. 

"We're hoping to just keep our to-go business so it sustains us over the next month,"  said Red's Lobster Pot co-owner Marisa Tanner. "Right now we're just day-by-day, minute-by-minute just trying to get through." 

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