This article appeared in the July 2nd Issue of TV Times
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By David Maull
TV Times

Operating a rooftop restaurant can be a double-edged sword.

Although the dining room comes equipped with a spectacular view, enticing customers to travel eight floors up an elevator presents a challenge.

That is why Al Jordan, owner of Jordan's Rooftop Restaurant atop the Fenwick Inn on 138th Street in Ocean City, is constantly trying to improve his product.

"I want to give people a reason to come up here," Jordan said. "I have to be just a little bit better than the other guy. Each year, without changing drastically, we want to improve ourselves."

Jordan has done that in 1998 by remodeling the entire restaurant and adding a new attraction to the entertainment schedule.

Baystar Dinner Theater, which was previously housed at the Seahorse Restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, will stage four productions at Jordan's between July and December. The company also performed two shows in March, April and May.

Neil Simon's "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers" runs until July 9 before "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" takes the stage from July 15 through Aug. 20. Baystar will perform "Nunsense" from Oct. 1 until Nov. 6 and a Christmas program from Nov. 19 through Dec. 22.

"It is unique. It gives us something else to promote our place," Jordan said. "It gives it (restaurant) another dimension. They all do a very nice job."

The Baystar Dinner Theater runs Wednesday and Thursday nights, with an occasional Saturday show thrown in.

Jordan, who prides himself on providing quality entertainment, has also booked summer performances by The Platters, The Admirals, The Hubcaps and Elvis impersonator Michael Hoover.

Jordan also initiated a massive winter remodeling project that gave the restaurant an entirely new look.

Workers spent three months painting, tearing out drop ceilings and installing a new fireplace. The tables, chairs and booths in the dining room are also new.

"The place definitely needed a facelift," Jordan said. "I was very happy with how it turned out. I think people are more comfortable with the whole arrangement."

Jordan purchased the restaurant, formerly known as the Lookout Lounge, seven years ago. He spent the previous 17 years at Harpoon Hanna's, where he was vice president of operations.

When the Lookout Lounge became available, he was contacted about purchasing the business. Ironically, he didn't jump at the opportunity.

"Nobody wanted to touch it," he said, noting it's location, eight floors above street level, made it difficult to attract customers.

But he was eventually drawn to the challenge and has turned Ocean City's only rooftop restaurant into a successful one.

"I'm extremely happy with it. It was a lot of hard work in the beginning," he said. "It's hard to get people to come up eight floors."

He's done that by offering not only quality entertainment, but also a dinner menu featuring seafood, prime rib, poultry and pasta. Seafood entrees include crab, lobster, shrimp and fresh fish.

Jordan's also serves lunch and Sunday brunch and hosts special events such as weddings and class reunions.

Further evidence that Jordan has made the trip up the elevator worth the ride.