Dear Bellport Village Residents and Country Club Members:
We have had the pleasure of your company for the past 10 years as the
Concessionaires of the Bellport Country Club. In that time we have expanded
the facility into a beautiful showpiece for the Village of Bellport and the
membership. At present, the Grill Room is in need of an update to match the
high quality of the golf course and its surroundings. This renovation will
give a positive first impression to prospective members, increasing revenue
for the Village, as well as enhance the membership and resident experience.
The History:
In the early 1990’s when the country club was expanded, the business plan
revolved around servicing the membership, residents and general public in
one location, the restaurant. Shortly after the grand opening, the
Concessionaire and the Village received several complaints from the
membership that the room was extremely inconvenient for golfers. In order to
purchase a beverage or snack, the membership had to travel 75 yards from
their carts and find there way to the second floor. This ultimately slowed
play on the course and the uproar was such that the Village constructed the
present Grill Room in an expedient fashion.
Seven years ago we realized that competing with ourselves for the same
customer and same dollar a hundred feet apart was a losing proposition. We
spent several months with contractors and designers creating a viable
alternative to this quagmire. We began discussing different options with the
Village shortly thereafter. Over the past five to six years we have spent
countless hours and dollars meeting with several different Village
administrations in an effort to change the existing layout to be more
amenable to the membership and residents of the Village. Our ideas have been
met with great enthusiasm but we were never able to get out of the starting
gate. Some delays related to more pressing Village issues with a higher
priority, as well as architectural and design issues. We went back to the
drawing board seven to ten times during that period sharpening our pencils
and looking for the best solution for the membership, residents, Village and
ourselves. All the proposals were met with the same zest but ultimately put
on the back burner.
The Proposal:
We are proposing to relocate the Dining Room to the main floor in the
current space that is the Grill Room. We plan to refurbish the room to a
level on par with the remainder of the Country Club. We propose to build a
sprawling patio laid in pavers on the east side of the facility and match
that over the existing cement patio to the south. We will construct a roof
(replacing the green canopy) to the south that will match the architecture
of the entire building. The handicap bathroom will be refurbished and
suitable to accommodate male and female patrons. We will close our doors to
the general public exclusively serving Village residents, the membership and
guests. Our goal is to offer the Village something it does not currently
have. The new Tavern will offer special events, such as Happy Hours, Bar-B-Q
Dinners and Prime Rib Nights. Some of these events may be held in the
present restaurant space. Our website will have a special link for members
and residents with a calendar of these events. We will continue to offer our
Easter and Mother’s Day Brunch, Yuletide Dinner, Breakfast with Santa, and
Tree Lighting Cocktail Party. With well-attended events, we plan to extend
these programs to such a degree that they will be supported. We want to
become the place where the Village residents and the membership can gather
for a fantastic social outing. We believe, that our quality is the hallmark
for which we are remembered, this will certainly follow us into the new
restaurant.
The Members House Account (assessment) will also change. We have received
several inquiries as to the mandated gratuity on these accounts. The
gratuity will be removed so that the membership can tip at their discretion.
In addition, the Concessionaire will not charge the required $600 annual
food and beverage minimum. We will offer a $105 discount for the 2010-2011
golf year. The 2011-2012 season will have a $50 discount from the required
$600 food and beverage minimum. We have asked the Village to institute a
Village resident Member account of $150 for the 2010-2011 season. Our hope
is that these changes will reward our existing members as well as entice new
members to join the club, thus another revenue driver for the village of
Bellport.
The Present Conditions:
We are in a time when many restaurants are closing their doors. Some can not
afford to remain open more than two or three days a week. We too have
suffered a similar fate. In our current location and format we will become
another restaurant statistic. For many, our restaurant has become the
special occasion venue. In past years, we might see regular customers once
every two weeks whereas now, we see them once every two months. Located on
the grounds of a Country Club deters many visitors due to the exclusivity
connotation that “Country Club” carries. Our second floor location is yet
another deterrent to visitors, including those that know we are open to the
public. Many choose not to attend because they feel that they do not want to
interrupt an event or feel the dining room would require more formal attire.
Over the last three years both the restaurant and the grill have experienced
a drop in sales. These sustained losses have forced us to look for a change.
This proposal will not be without a significant capital investment. Due to
the lack of equity from profit, this investment will come from the personal
accounts of the Concessionaire. We believe strongly enough in this project
that we are willing to pay for it out of our own pockets. This investment is
going into a building that we do not own; it is Village property and will
remain as such.
We have received some notice from members that the loss of the second floor
is of some concern. The room was an unsuccessful Members Lounge when it was
initially constructed due to the location and format. It is the same case
today as it was in the early 1990’s. However, we do not plan on closing the
second floor. Unfortunately, most restaurant diners (members and residents)
frequent the restaurant two to four times a year. This is not enough to
sustain a business. We plan to host several special member and resident
events in the current dining room through out the year. This room will be
available.
We are very grateful to the current Village administration for considering
this matter. We hope to begin construction immediately and open for business
by May 1, 2010. The membership and residents deserve better and we are
willing to take on the enormous expense to perform this project. The Village
will increase revenues, the membership and residents will have a club they
can be proud of. We have an opportunity to positively affect the village and
the membership, it is up to you to make this happen, the time to act is now.
The Village is hosting a meeting on March 22, 2010 at 6pm in the Village
Community Center. Please do no take this for granted, be assured nothing
will happen without your support. If you have any questions, please contact
us at (631) 286-4227 or
info@bellportcc.com.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on the 22nd!
Sincerely,
Fintan, Niall and Robert