Jakeabob's Bay, a restaurant and waterfront tiki bar and one of the major employers in town, which survived Hurricane Irene in 2011, was destroyed in the hurricane. The storm surge completely washed through the building, pushing out tables, chairs, menus and displays. The restaurant owner, Gigi Liaguno-Dorr, organized the relief and rebuilding efforts for Union Beach. The building was razed when the insurance companies that covered the restaurant would not pay out. A new temporary restaurant was built but did not manage to renew its lease due to insurance disputes with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.