“The show has made my store into a landmark; it is like the show Cheers—people still go to Boston to take pictures in front of the bar—people will continue to come to Seaside Heights and to my store.”

August 1st, 2011

A cool interview with Danny, owner of the Shore Store, and the employer of the Jersey Shore cast.

No one is happier than Danny, whose life changed in 2009 when MTV asked to rent his house (“the biggest house in town,” he says) for the season. According to him, the network handed him a check and asked him to move out in four days. He happily obliged and relocated to a nearby condo.

Soon, the cast began working at his gift shop…but attracting customers was a little tougher than anticipated.

“Everyone who came in had to fill out release forms, and since no one had seen the show yet, it was tough,” he says.

Everything changed the following year. By then, Jersey Shore was raking in the ratings, every person in the country was quoting characters (a few gems: “GTL. Gym. Tanning. Laundry” and ‘The shirt before the shirt”) and droves of fans were lining up to enter Danny’s store. Since 2010, sales have been up 50 percent, he says.

“Dealing with the crowd was the craziest thing; we had to instruct kids to be normal in the store…it was nuts…only in America,” he says.

I visited the Shore Store, and can attest the place was packed! Good for Danny!