Vavala family carries on Dewey tradition

Just over a year since the death of patriarch Bruce Vavala, his family is continuing the tradition set in 1977 when he founded Vavala’s Beach Things in Dewey Beach.

Bruce began working at the store, formerly known as Wilson’s Variety Store, when he was 16, his wife Eileen said. The Wilsons told Bruce he had first dibs if he ever wanted to buy the shop.

Back then, Dewey’s season ran pretty much from Memorial Day through Labor Day and that was it. Both she and Bruce were teachers, so operating the store during the summers was a good fit.

Before long, Bruce got involved with local efforts to incorporate Dewey, and was elected the new town’s first mayor in 1981. He served until 1983 and again from 1987-91.

As their family grew, Bruce and Eileen introduced children Krissy and Joe to retail operations. The kids were there so much, Eileen kept a mini shopping cart piled with a raft and towels as a bed for Krissy’s naps. 

“I’d wheel her around the store,” Eileen said with a laugh.

Bruce constructed dozens of wooden cubbies overflowing with Dewey-themed sweatshirts and T-shirts, which Krissy and Joe both learned to fold freehand. When Krissy later worked briefly at the Gap, managers insisted she use a traditional folding board.

“I told them if they could tell the difference between a stack of shirts I folded with the board versus without that I’d use the board. They couldn’t,” she smiled, noting she has been selecting the clothing sold at Vavala’s since she was 13.

Using a calculator to count back change was another no-no; Bruce and his mother were math teachers, and his kids were going to use their minds to do mathematics in their heads. 

“I guess it worked,” Joe smiled. “I became a math teacher.”

Bruce’s sudden death in May 2023 dealt a blow to the family, but they were determined to keep the shop going. Krissy, the chief deputy at Sussex County Register of Wills, could flex time and take vacation to cover shifts. Joe devoted his summer off to running the store, and his wife, Alli, and Eileen pitched in as well.

“We had an amazing outpouring of support all summer,” Joe said. “People were very excited to learn we would continue. We’re not going anywhere.”

“There’s such a sense of community in Dewey,” Eileen said. “When Bruce was sick, every restaurant in town brought us food.”

However, the juggle was difficult and the family had some decisions to make. Although Joe had worked at the store since he was 7, he underestimated what his father did during the off-season, when all the planning and ordering for the next summer is done. 

“I didn’t realize how much Dad did,” he said. “I couldn't put in all the time I wanted to.”

So, Joe decided it was time to step back from his role at Beacon Middle School in June. It was tough leaving after 16 years, he said, but he will continue his role as assistant boys’ lacrosse coach at Cape High.

Adapting to change is one reason the store has remained open for nearly 50 years. When other businesses also started offering beach gear, Vavala’s transitioned to specializing in Dewey merchandise. 

“We shoot for quality beach resort clothing,” Eileen said.

“There are classics and unique pieces only we have,” Krissy said.

A friend updated the store’s teal-and-white umbrella and beach chair logo, which they plan to sell on T-shirts and stickers. Alli and Krissy are now the store’s social media team, and Joe plans to expand the business with a full retail website.

During the interview, a woman stopped by to drop off a couple of envelopes to mail, which Joe accepted and placed behind the counter. 

Vavala’s is still a post office drop-off location. The store offered full postal service decades ago when people who summered in Dewey had their mail forwarded. With no such thing as text or email, families and friends would also send postcards and care packages for pickup at Vavala’s, Krissy said.

A small cubby for mail used to hang right next to the cash register, Eileen said, but with the advent of the internet and online bill pay, mail forwarding was no longer needed. Stamps are still sold, though.

In the days when Vavala’s sold newspapers, books and comics, mornings were busiest, Eileen said, but now most people read the news and books on tablets or Kindles. And, the heaviest foot traffic comes later in the day, when diners are going in and out of Woody’s Dewey Beach Bar & Grill next door.

Every morning, Bruce would wander into Woody’s, where he’d pour a Pepsi, grab a slice of soft white bread and load it with just-cooked bacon for breakfast, and chat with restaurateur Jimmy O’Conor on the patio.

At Bruce’s funeral reception, O’Conor ensured those favorite bacon-and-bread specialties were available for guests.

“People were probably wondering about those sandwiches!” Eileen laughed.

As if on cue, Woody’s employee Bob Foster popped over during the interview with a pile of bacon on white bread. “You haven’t had one in a while,” Foster said to Joe, smiling as he handed over Bruce’s favorite breakfast.

“This is ‘The Bruce,’” Joe smiled.

The third generation of Vavalas is earning their keep. Joe and Alli’s children Tommy and Lila just finished third grade at Rehoboth Elementary. In between trips to the beach, the twins sweep the back room, wash windows, dust shelves and take out the trash. Working the cash register is their favorite job.

“You get to push buttons and talk to people, and sometimes they tip me,” Tommy said.

Lila, like her aunt Krissy, is also picking out clothes to sell.

“They’re little salesmen at school. They talk about the new stuffed animals, backpack clips and favorite sweatshirts we have,” Alli said. “They really helped with deep cleaning over the winter.”

Talking to people from all walks of life has benefitted the children’s social skills as well, Eileen said. Joe said he enjoys watching his kids play games and entertain themselves in the store just like he did.

Every Friday night in their youth, Krissy and Joe would work at the store so their parents could have a night out with friends. “We’ll set that up in a couple years,” Joe laughed.

It’s fun to see adults who came in as kids with their parents now bringing their own children into the shop, Joe said. 

“We have awesome, amazing, loyal customers who come back every year,” Joe said. “They tell their friends and family about us, and it’s a really neat thing to hear. It made me realize how much this is a part of their summer vacation. It gives you energy and keeps us going. We’re so grateful.”

Members of both sides of the family have worked in the store at one time or another, Eileen said.

“This business has done well for us,” she said. “It’s taught us all a lot more than retail.”

Vavala’s Beach Things will be open every day til mid-October, when it will be open Friday to Sunday through the holiday season. The storefront will close in January and February to prepare for summer 2025 and will open again on weekends starting St. Patrick’s Day.

Call 302-227-8008 or go to facebook.com/vavalas.