WindMill looking to bring hot dog restaurant back to Ocean County

BRICK – The WindMill wants to bring its hot dogs and crinkle cut fries back to Brick with a proposal to open a restaurant across from its old Route 70 location.

In papers filed with the township Planning Board, Windmill Corp. proposes to turn a former T-Mobile store at 905 Route 70 North into a restaurant. The 1,032-square-foot building is at the

Brick Dunkin’ Plaza, across the parking lot from Tiger Schulmann’s, Mattress Firm and Dunkin’.

The plan includes adding a patio for outdoor seating, which requires township approval.

In 2019, WindMill closed its Route 70 restaurant, a fixture in that spot for more than 30 years. The space, and the 7-Eleven that was next door, is now a CityMD urgent care center.

A Jersey Shore icon, the WindMill, with its signature Sabrett hotdogs and cheese fries, was owned by the Levine family for decades. In 1976, Brothers Edward and Leo Levine purchased the original windmill-topped restaurant that opened on Ocean Avenue in Long Branch’s West End in the early ‘60s

Years later, Leo’s daughter, Rena Levine Levy, and son, Steven Levine, took over — with other family members working the grill, managing offices and working behind the scenes.

In late 2022, Ralph Epstein, who with his family owns and operates Jumping Brook Country Club in Neptune and Hanover Golf Club in Wrightstown, purchased the WindMill.

It now has five restaurants: two in Long Branch and one each in Red Bank, Ocean Grove and Belmar.

David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business, retail, real estate and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for 25 years. He writes APP.com’s What’s Going There column and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Please sign up for his weekly newsletter and join his What’s Going There page on Facebook for updates.