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Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save BRIGANTINE — The Della Vecchia brothers are bringing their beef to Brigantine. Tony Beef, which opened in Galloway Township in 2019 and expanded to Somers Point shortly after, will open a third location by mid-May in Brigantine. The budding burger chain's third location is going into the spot formerly known as Kook Burger at 3101 Revere Blvd.
, Unit B. Tony Beef started as a build-your-own-burger restaurant, which included exotic meats such as bison and alligator, but has morphed into an elevated experience with creative takes on burgers, from a patty between two grilled cheese sandwiches to another you treat like a French dip. "It's a little smaller than our other spots, but it's cozy," said Anthony Della Vecchia, 36, who co-owns Tony Beef with his brother, Nick.
"We're excited to be here in Brigantine. We're super comfortable. We've been coming here our whole lives.
We really feel it's going to be a great spot for us. The town's great; the people seem so welcoming and friendly." Ocean Casino Resort plans $50M in renovations this year, including 559 rooms and suites Attorneys for Atlantic City mayor, superintendent say they were just trying to protect their daughter 198-unit affordable housing project breaks ground in Galloway Township Vineland forest fire up to 1,300 acres, 75% contained, Forest Fire Service says Casino panel: Trump tariff turmoil could hurt gambling business — but also might help it expand My Life: Mia Merlino battles diabetes and becomes a Holy Spirit softball standout Protestors rally in Atlantic City against President Donald Trump What is next for the former B.
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"Thankfully, it kinda makes it easy when it's a second-generation restaurant, because a lot of the layout saves us time, saves us money," said Nick, 32. "But when it comes to rebranding, we just make it our own and put our own twist on it and try to morph it so it's unrecognizable from what it was before." Though this location will be a year-round restaurant, the Della Vecchias are excited by the prospect of drawing Jersey Shore business during the tourism season.
They are just two blocks from Brigantine Boulevard, the city's main artery, and are neighbors with a surf shop, an ice cream parlor, a bakery and a pet shop. "We're definitely expecting a lot of foot traffic," Nick said. "We grew up coming to Brigantine as kids, so we're kind of familiar with the area and how crazy it gets in the summertime.
From just talking to the local business owners around here, they've been super welcoming and transparent with how it kinda gets after Memorial Day, so it's something I think we're prepared for and I'm definitely excited to see how busy it can get." The Della Vecchias are both pretty handy, so they've been able to do a lot of the work on the inside by themselves. The brothers rent the property, and the kitchen equipment came with it.
They were in the process of redoing the floor in mid-April when they got a delivery for their new dishwasher. Next will be the hanging-up of about a half-dozen flat-screen TVs that will show guests the menu items. This location will bear the full Tony Beef menu, Anthony said, but there will be some location-specific offerings.
They are looking to expand their menu, so for the time being, Brigantine will have a few of its own specials that the other stores won't have yet. "The plan is to bring them to the other stores, eventually," Anthony said. The burger brothers Before Tony Beef, burgers were never on the brothers' radar.
Anthony Della Vecchia graduated from Absegami High School in 2006 and then Atlantic Cape Community College's Academy of Culinary Arts in 2015. When he left culinary school, he had visions of working in Michelin-star restaurants in New York City serving luxurious dishes to diners dressed in their finest clothes. When Nick graduated from La Salle around the same time Anthony was out of culinary school, the two decided to open a restaurant together.
Now, they're serving burgers to beach bums, and they couldn't be happier. "This has brought us way closer," Anthony said of Nick. That doesn't mean their culinary chops are going to waste.
Everything in Tony Beef is house-made, from the patties to the buns. They use fresh ingredients, and when possible, they're locally sourced. The ground beef comes from Plymouth Beef in Brooklyn, New York, an old-school Italian butcher that specializes in ground beef, Anthony said.
Tony Beef started as a build-your-own experience, which was an exciting concept. "But then, it seemed like people wanted more direction," Anthony said, "so I developed burgers that were fun and the flavor profiles mesh well." A post shared by DEVOURPOWER: Greg & Rebecca (@devourpower) Tony Beef's most popular burger, Anthony said, is the French Onion, which includes a provolone cheese-topped bun, Swiss cheese on the inside with grilled onion, roasted garlic aioli and a side of au jus.
The concept became a social-media star. An Instagram reel about the burger has more than 6 million views. Another favorite is the Meltdown, a grilled cheese bun with American and mozzarella cheeses, pesto, shaved onions, bacon jam and roasted garlic aioli, served with a side of tomato soup.
"We continue to expand, we continue to serve the same quality product we have since we've opened and it's just been extremely exciting," Nick said, "and I'm thankful for the customer base that we have. It sounds corny, but we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them." Contact John Russo: 609-272-7184 jrusso@pressofac.
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