The word “icon” gets tossed around. But few would deny Joe Pop’s Shore Bar and Restaurant in Ship Bottom fits the bill. The building has stood at the corner of East 20th Street since the 1930s, while generations of beachgoers, fun seekers and nightlife lovers have passed through its doors and contributed in some way to its legendary character.

This year, a new set of owners picks up the storyline: Elena Loures, owner of Sea Horse Motel in Brant Beach; her husband, John Farrington of Farrington…