The Anna Maria Oyster Bar is seeking support to grow the restaurant.
John Horne, owner of the pier restaurant, 200 Bridge St., presented a 13-page expansion strategy Jan. 11 to the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. The proposed changes to the concession agreement would allow for a food and beverage kiosk outside the restaurant’s existing footprint on the city-owned pier.
“We want a walk-up margarita bar while people are waiting for their tables,” Horne said. “We want to be able to let them get a drink and walk the pier while they are waiting on their tables to be ready.”
He continued, “We have hired an equipment company that designs kitchens. We’re not going to be cooking in there. All the cooking will be done in the restaurant but we’ll be serving from there. We want to put a couple of frozen drink machines in there. We’ll also have nonalcoholic for the children or the people who don’t drink alcohol.”
Horne also advocated for additional outside seating along the pier boardwalk that extends from the front entrance to the back patio. He proposed rail seating and canopies to accommodate more guests.
Other changes in the proposal include a Gulf Coast Oyster Recycling & Restoration infographic, new signage for the pier, multiple photo opportunity stations and murals and artwork.
Currently, the restaurant’s footprint for alcohol consumption is confined to the outdoor seating area and the remainder of the pier is a no-alcohol zone.
Horne suggested the CRA open the pier to alcohol.
Commissioner Ralph Cole voiced concerns about people drinking on the pier and falling off the floating dock, but he mostly favored the idea.
Cole chairs the CRA, which was created in 1992 and provides financial assistance to the city to create public projects. The board includes the mayor, commissioners and two appointed members, district resident David Bell and businessman Ed Chiles.
“Me personally, I would have no problem with people walking out on the pier and having alcohol,” Cole said. “I think it would be just fine if someone was sitting out there drinking a beer and fishing, as long as they are just fishing.”
Commissioner Jake Spooner supported the concept. He said, “If I am out there and I am waiting an hour to sit down and I order a drink, I’d love the ability to walk down to the end of the pier, see what people are catching.”
Bell said, “The model that comes to mind is Tide Tables (restaurant in Cortez), where you have a beer, you sit at a picnic table, you drink your beer and then your table is ready. Which I think is fine.”
Mayor John Chappie disagreed.
“I am not in favor of alcohol being allowed on the pier,” he said. “I think the policing of it is going to put the police department in a very tough situation to control that area.”
Commissioner Jan Vosburgh added, “I think you’re opening up a big can of worms. I think that fishing pier should be for families.”
CRA members invited Police Chief John Cosby to comment, and he did: “I would say in the last 18 months we’ve only had one call to AMOB for assistance with a problem. I don’t really have an issue with this. I don’t really have a problem.”
Cosby said if alcohol is allowed the length of the pier, he would like to see enhanced security available to his officers.
“If we are going to give them exclusive rights to do this,” Cosby said. “I would like to see us forge some kind of public/private partnership to get the camera system back up. With a camera system in place, we can monitor, we can watch the behavior and see what’s going on.”
CRA members reached a consensus to move forward with the proposed improvements but not yet expand the alcohol footprint.
The project is estimated to cost close to $56,000.
City treasurer Shayne Thompson said the CRA would be looking at about $12,000 in funding for the expansion, with the rest paid by AMOB and the Manatee County Tourist Development Council.
City attorney Ricinda Perry said the next step is to bring the issue before the city commission in conjunction with a discussion on the concessionaire agreement between the city and AMOB.
The next CRA meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N.
