Hometown News and Views

By Judy Wilson

Deerfield Beach – Dedication of the new entrance to the fishing pier has been set for Friday, Dec. 7 and appropriate ceremonies are planned. But the pier will open without its restaurant. Determining who will operate the 70-seat eatery has been slowed by a challenge to the bidding process. One of the protests has been filed by Pete Boinis, a former restaurant owner with a colorful history here.

Eco-Eatery, Inc. and Red Baron Entertainment have filed protests challenging the selection committee’s decision that found they were “non-responsive” bidders, i.e. did not submit all the required information. The city commission will meet in special session Oct. 29 to rule on the protest.

Principal in Eco-Eatery is Pete Boinis, the Boca Raton restaurant owner whose attempt to build a restaurant on the pier parking lot in 2004 created huge controversy and gave momentum to the Original Save Our Beach organization. When his restaurant failed to win commission approval, Boinis posted an area of beach property he owned adjacent to the pier as “Private” and did not allow public use. Eventually, the city purchased the tract in order to make the current pier renovations.

Red Baron Entertainment is a Lighthouse Point entity whose principal is Mike Coner. The other bidder deemed non-responsive was Johanna Gallagher, Gallagher and Associates of Deerfield Beach. Gallagher did not file a protest. The remaining bidder was Todd Weiss, DH2 of Boca Raton, who was not recommended by the selection committee.

Three companies of the seven that responded to the request for proposal have been recommended by the committee: Brewzii  International, Boca Raton;   Class Act Restaurant Group, LLC from Hallandale, and Two Together, LLC out of Delray Beach.

Depending on the commission’s decision on the 29th, the committee’s recommendation will likely come before them in December.

The protest is not the only reason the restaurant will not be operational when the pier opens. The first proposal issued in June for a restaurant tenant was rejected by the commission, rewritten and re-advertised. 

Based on the new schedule, choosing the restaurateur, negotiating a lease and outfitting the dining space, could not have happened by December, according to Purchasing Manager David Santucci.