New concessionaire takes over Suffolk beaches

Live rock music, cocktails and Hawaiian night will continue at Suffolk beaches this summer after parks officials chose J&B Restaurant Partners in an $8.9 million deal to replace Beach Hut after the popular former concessionaire pleaded guilty to shortchanging the county.

Suffolk parks trustees unanimously chose the Holbrook-based restaurant firm over eight other contenders to run the food concessions at Smith Point, Suffolk’s prime oceanfront park, as well as Cupsogue and Meschutt beaches in a 10-year deal, with two five-year options.

J&B Restaurant Partners Top Flight Foods LLC operates all the TGI Friday’s and Friendly’s restaurants in Nassau and Suffolk, as well as concessions, band shell and shops at Jones Beach.

In their presentation, J&B officials promised to schedule local bands nightly through the summer, and theme nights, including outdoor barbecues, lobsterfests, Hawaian and Caribbean nights. “We are very confident in our ability to take over these venues and provide the best entertainent possible,” said company officials in their Power Point presentation.

Foods will range from appetizers such as Buffalo wings to baked clams, grilled chicken, fish, salads, pasta, sandwiches, hot dogs and desserts.

Don McKay, deputy parks commissioner, said the selection was made “after a careful and intense investigation,” that resulted in a “very fair process.” The county still has to negotiate a contract based on the J&B proposal, and get permits from the county health department and State Liquor Authority for the new concessions to be in place by Memorial Day.

According to ratings by a five-member review committee, park officials say J&B scored 99 percent at Smith Point, 98 percent at Meschutt and 94 percent at Cupsogue. The nearest competitor, Island Time Hospitality, scored 83 at Smith Point; Ian Duke scored 86 percent at Meschutt and Strano Enterprises 84 percent at Cupsogue.

J&B called for paying an annual licensing fee of $50,000 at Smith Point, and $30,000 at each of Meschutt and Cupsogue. In addition, for all gross sales over $100,000 at each location, the firm also will pay the county 17.5 percent at Smith Point, 15 percent at Meschutt and 12 percent at Cupsogue.

J&B also proposed spending $957,000 in capital improvements, including tiki bar, new bandstand and volleyball courts, as well as an optional $250,000 rooftop deck at Meschutt to view sunsets if the county is willing to make the contract 20 years upfront.

The county terminated the contract of Beach Hut, which had been the concessionaire for nearly two decades, after the business and owner Fred Marsillio pleaded guilty in December in State Supreme Court in Suffolk to shortchanging the county and Babylon Town on sales tax and fees, resulting in fines, restitution and interest totaling $1.14 million.

Suffolk Comptroller John Kennedy, whose office uncovered Beach Hut’s wrongdoing, began a performance audit which park officials fought, claiming procurement is an administrative function. That issue is still in court. However, Kennedy has maintained that details of the still-unreleased Beach Hut audit could assist park officials in developing a new concession agreement.