New Dining Spot Set to Open at former Restaurant Location in Avalon New Jersey

For over 130 years, one of the most popular Jersey Shore towns for vacationers and South Jersey locals to visit has been Avalon.

Located off Exit 13 on the Garden State Parkway, the coastal community's proximity to neighboring towns Sea Isle City and Stone Harbor, along with numerous campgrounds on the mainland, makes Avalon an easy-to-get-to destination during the warm weather months.

But anyone over 35 years old knows that many of the South Jersey Shore Towns have seen changes. With different businesses being impacted by both Hurricane Sandy in 20212 and the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020, there have been revisions to the business enviroments in Avalon.

New Restaurant Coming To Avalon for Summer 2026

Back in September 2025, the Black Cactus Restaurant announced they are permanently closed after being open for just two summers. Located at the corner of 27th Street and Dune Drive, the Mexican-style eatery was located where the old Coldwell Banker Real Estate building stood for decades.

The Black Cactus opened with plenty of buzz in 2024 after the owners obtained the liquor license that belonged to beloved establishments Jack's Place and Gallagher's Pub. As of the writting of this article, the official reason why the Black Cactus closed is still unknown to Townsquare Media South Jersey.

After five months of the property remaining dormant and the future being unknown, suddenly there was a Facebook post stating that a new restaurant is coming to Avalon at the location of the former Black Cactus.

The new establishment will be called Gully's and has been described as "bringing back old school Avalon" with a "Beach Bar Fun For The Whole Family" vibe. Part of the new spot will feature Phil's Famous Pizza, bringing their unique style of pizza popular in Sea Isle City down south to Avalon.

Gully's is hosting a Hiring Event on Sunday, March 15th from 12pm-4pm; According to Facebook, they are looking for new servers, bartenders, hosts, bar backs, bussers, and line cooks so they can open before the start of the 2026 summer season.

Gully's is one of the new places to eat in Avalon that have opened in the last couple years, joining businesses like Vince's Pizza on Dune Drive.

NOTE: The author of this article made multiple attempts to reach out to the new business but they have not supplied Townsquare Media South Jersey with any other information about Gully's or the new restaurant ownership.