Bradley Beach Business and Community Alliance Connects Town

By:  | December 24, 2025 |  | 

By Emma Sylvia

In recent years, the Bradley Beach Business and Community Alliance (BBBCA) has been working tirelessly to energize the town by providing support to businesses and the community as a whole. BBBCA President, Paula Gavin, speaks about their five-year plan, and just what Bradley has in store.

One of a Kind
 

Having worked a 50-year career that took her across the corporate, nonprofit and government sectors, Gavin took this experience and brought it to Bradley, where she volunteered to the mayor at the time, Gary Engelstad, to develop a strategic plan for the town.

“We created an unusual organization, which was a combination of business, residents and nonprofits,” Gavin explains. “The BBBCA brings together those three components of the town. The objective was to connect the town in every way and strengthen it as a result of that.”

Taking advantage of its volunteers’ experience, they launched their five-year plan in 2024 in order to strengthen businesses, enhance resident life and engage the community. Below are its goals:

1. Membership Growth - “We do a lot to engage our members,” Gavin explains. This involves their Tuesday meetings, weekly newsletter, and involving their members as volunteers, enlisting 45 alliance advisors who help businesses directly. “We’ve also launched Brad Talks, which are like Ted Talks. This was the first year we did it. They’re community activities and it’s also a membership recruiting opportunity. We wanted to engage the community [members] in meeting each other, and people in town who have an interesting story. It enabled us to bring together interesting resident members, who told their story to other residents.”
    
2. Small Business Success - “That’s key to what we do,” she says. Ensuring they support small businesses, the BBBCA holds a monthly “Boost Bradley Beach,” event where members can promote anything they like. Additionally, they have quarterly business networking meetings.
    
3. A Vibrant Main Street - Aside from physical improvements over time, the BBBCA is working to satisfy the desire for more off-season activities. In November and March, the BBBCA strongly promotes Bradley’s ever expanding Restaurant Row.
    
4. Community Connections - This includes all of the BBBCA’s nonprofit work. Bradley is full of nonprofits, from the PTA to Friends of the Library, their local food pantry, historical society, EMS and fire departments. They provide these volunteers with visibility and support.
    
5. Mission Impact – Who participates? How do they communicate, raise funds, partner with municipality and more? All these questions keep the BBBCA both afloat and thriving, allowing them to receive feedback directly from members.

Bigger and Better
 

Due to their unique mix of businesses, residents, and nonprofits, the board at the BBBCA is composed of groups representing each sector. In the beginning, the BBBCA began with just seven members. Because the organization was launched during the pandemic, most of their events were either virtual or entirely outdoors. By 2021, they were back to in-person events. “Since then, we’ve been able to blossom,” says Gavin.

Gavin lauds how quickly and positively the town reacted to the BBBCA. By the end of the group’s first year, they had 70 members. Now, with 2026 starting, they have 274 members, comprising of 115 businesses, 149 residents and 10 nonprofits. Their current officers include President Paula Gavin, Vice President Andres Zapata (of restaurant Panchos and Juanchos), Secretary Gary Engelstad, Treasurer Tina Garyantes, and Communications Officer Christine Dickler.

“We have a lot of participation in our events. [The people] are happy to be part of it. They get to meet their neighbors. Even in a small town like Bradley, you don’t necessarily know your neighbors from across town.”

Gavin has an apt descriptor both for Bradley Beach itself as well as the BBBCA and its members: Connected Community. Participants at BBBCA events often find something new to experience, whether it’s a connection or a new favorite shop or restaurant. “People talk about how [the BBBCA] provides not just a positive connection, but an informative connection,” Gavin elaborates. “It supports our businesses. We want our small businesses to be successful; ‘shop local’ is always on our tongues. It’s very vibrant, very successful, and we want to continue to grow and serve more people.”

The BBBCA is in the second year of their five-year plan, and all systems are a go. This year they aim to do quarterly Brad Talks and host other events, like their January Jam, which will be curated by local business owner Alex Levine who owns Idle Hand Barbershop and works double duty as the bassist for the popular rock group, The Gaslight Anthem. The event will take place Saturday, January 24, at the Bradley Beach Fire Hall and will feature a dance party with live music. All proceeds will go to the volunteer fire and first aid departments. Other upcoming events include their Winter Wonderland events that will occur throughout February.

To learn more about the BBBCA and sign up for their newsletter, visit bradleybeachalliance.org