By Danny Teigman
The winning bidder was Dover Gourmet Corporation of Plainview, which was signed to a three-year deal and will pay the city an average of more than $57,000 per year.
Previously, the city would had accepted multiple bids from as many as four different companies, Laffey said. "Its going to make it easier to administer," he said. "It will be one contract for all four sections." Awarding all of the city's concessions business to a single company will also eliminate disputes between vendors, Laffey said. "From time to time we had vendors encroach on other vendors' areas."
Anthony Gatch, the owner of Sunset Beach Refreshments, which has run concessions on the beach in the past but was left out this year, expressed his dismay over the changes, saying that a company should have the right to operate one or two stands at most. "We never had the opportunity in the past to bid on the entire beach concession," Gatch said.
The Council voted along party lines, 3-1, with Councilman Thomas Sofield abstaining.
Dover Gourmet, which has operated a concession stand at Grand Boulevard for the past two seasons, will pay $55,000 the first year, $57,500 the second and $60,000 the third for its exclusive franchise, which officially begins May 1. Laffey said that given Dover's previous experience on the boardwalk, and factoring in an additional $25,000 the company has promised to spend on rehabilitating the Pacific Boulevard concession stand, the city is confident in their decision, Laffey said. "[The company] has extensive experience with other municipalities," he added.
"I'm not happy about it. We've been operating beach concessions in Long Beach since 1990," said Gatch. "It's always been clear in the past that [the city of Long Beach] didn't want one company to have a monopoly. It now appears as if the city has altered that plan..."
Gatch offered a one-year bid of his own for $50,501, but was outbid by nearly $4,500. Although Sunset Beach Refreshments and its approximately 15 seasonal employees are also contracted with Nickerson Beach in Lido Beach, the Long Beach boardwalk was its primary summer business, explained Gatch, who also owns Party Magic Enterprises Inc. of Island Park.
"Hopefully I'll be able to endure," he said.
Regardless of who operates the boardwalk concessions, the Long Beach community and its seasonal visitors deserve quality service, Gatch said. "I don't wish [Dover Gourmet] any ill will," he said. "I hope they have a great summer."
Comments about this story? DTeigman@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
