Longtime Asbury Park Boardwalk Restaurant Stella Marina Closes After 17 Years

The upscale eatery was a popular destination, but the challenges of running a restaurant at the Jersey Shore proved too much.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Stella Marina, a longtime restaurant located on the Asbury Park boardwalk, has officially closed its doors after 17 years in business. The upscale restaurant was known for its picturesque views and cuisine, but the owners cited the difficulties of operating a restaurant at the Jersey Shore, including rising food costs, staffing challenges, and the seasonality of the business, as factors that led to the difficult decision to shutter the establishment.

Why it matters

The closure of Stella Marina highlights the immense challenges facing restaurant owners at the Jersey Shore, where factors like fluctuating food prices, high rents, and the boom-and-bust cycle of seasonal tourism make it increasingly difficult to sustain a successful business. The loss of this popular destination is a blow to the Asbury Park community, but also serves as a cautionary tale about the fragility of the restaurant industry, even for well-established eateries.

The details

Stella Marina had been a fixture on the Asbury Park boardwalk since 2009, offering upscale cuisine and stunning views of the Jersey Shore. However, the owners cited a number of factors that ultimately led to the restaurant's demise, including the rising costs of food, staffing challenges in finding and retaining reliable employees, and the extreme seasonality of the business, with a boom in summer months followed by a dramatic slowdown in the off-season.

  • Stella Marina opened its doors in 2009.
  • The restaurant officially closed in March 2026 after 17 years in business.

The players

Stella Marina

A longtime restaurant located on the Asbury Park boardwalk, known for its upscale cuisine and picturesque views of the Jersey Shore.

Sirenna Ristorante

Another restaurant operated by the owners of Stella Marina, located in Long Branch, New Jersey.

Masseria Italian Steakhouse

A third restaurant operated by the owners of Stella Marina, located in Morristown, New Jersey.

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The takeaway

The closure of Stella Marina serves as a sobering reminder of the immense challenges facing restaurant owners at the Jersey Shore, where factors like fluctuating food costs, high rents, and the boom-and-bust cycle of seasonal tourism make it increasingly difficult to sustain a successful business. While the loss of this popular destination is a blow to the Asbury Park community, it also highlights the fragility of the restaurant industry and the need for innovative solutions to support local eateries in coastal communities.