By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

Ocean Pines residents and members of the Ocean Pines Association will have the opportunity to learn more about the association’s new food and beverage vendor on Thursday.

At noon at the Community Center, representatives of Touch of Italy restaurants will be available for a question-and-answer session and to share their vision for how they intend to handle the association’s three food and beverage operations.

Those unable to attend the town hall session in person can follow up later, since the the meeting will be recorded and posted.

It was announced last Wednesday the Ocean Pines Association (OPA) has secured a five-year deal with Touch of Italy Group as the community’s new food and beverage contractor for their three service locations — the Ocean Pines Yacht Club, the Ocean Pines Beach Club in Ocean City and the Clubhouse Bar and Grille.

When Touch of Italy takes over, it intends to serve an expanded American cuisine and fresh seafood menu. Company fisiiiiiii will also uphold the free summer concerts on the Yacht Club patio. The official start date is yet to be determined, but it will be announced on the community’s website at oceanpines.org and at a town hall meeting.

The food and beverage contract with Touch of Italy was signed during a special OPA Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The governing body voted to hire the restaurant group to take over for Matt Ortt Companies, whose contract ends this year.

“This is an exciting opportunity for us to raise the bar in Ocean Pines,” Touch of Italy financial operations overseer Rick Lawrence said. “The pressure’s on, but we’re confident we’ll deliver.”

On Sept. 13, the association announced that rather than renew Ortt’s contract, which is nearing expiration, that it would seek proposals for managing its food and beverage operations.

At that time, board of directors Vice President Rick Farr said the decision was based on a recommendation from the association’s legal counsel, Bruce Bright of Ayres, Jenkins, Gordy and Almand, and the community’s bylaws as they pertain to the request for proposals (RFP) process.

The OPA governing documents state that “all purchases and contracts for services or supplies for the Association shall, to the fullest extent practicable, be made by open competitive procedures.”

“It is our fiduciary responsibility as board members to our community to follow our bylaws and governing documents and ensure all protocols are followed for the recommendations by our general manager that is in the best interest of all of Ocean Pines membership,” Farr said in September.

Potential vendors had until Oct. 18 to submit their bids. The request yielded three responses — SoDel Concepts from Delaware, Touch of Italy, and incumbent Matt Ortt Companies.

Touch of Italy has three locations: one on 101 2nd Street in Lewes, Delaware, one at 19724 Coastal Highway in Rehoboth, Delaware, and one at 6600 Coastal Highway in Ocean City. The restaurant group also has the Royal Prime Steakhouse at Bally’s in Dover, Delaware, and runs Sunset Island Bar and Grille at 1 Beach Side Drive in Ocean City.

Now, Touch of Italy, founded in 2010 by Bob Ciprietti of Bethany Beach, will expand its reach even further, this time into Ocean Pines.

During the group’s five-year contract with Ocean Pines, Lawrence emphasized that Ciprietti is committed to elevating the community’s dining experience and is “passionate about getting every flavor right.”

Matt Ortt Companies, which also operates Coastal Salt and the Ocean City Rum Shack on the 16th Street Boardwalk, came on as the community’s food and beverage service operator in March 2018, signing a two-year deal.

That initial arrangement was extended by five years in 2020 with a $200,000 management fee per year plus 50% of the profits if goals reached minus depreciation expenses for the buildings.

“Touch of Italy has successfully managed a tiki bar operation in Ocean City, several thriving local restaurants, and a major banquet operation in Dover,” OPA General Manager John Viola said.

“We expect they will bring all that expertise to Ocean Pines, making them an ideal fit for our community.”

Per the terms of the request for proposals released last year, Touch of Italy will oversee the management and operations of the three food and beverage locations, including janitorial services, banquet functions, and the handling of live entertainment at the Yacht Club from Thursday through Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The company is also tasked with ensuring that the menu and pricing are of quality and variety, meeting Ocean Pines’ needs, administering staffing, coordinating events, and maintaining the facilities and equipment.

“We want to be responsive, deliver exceptional quality, and earn the loyalty of Ocean Pines,” Lawrence said. “Our goal isn’t just to be the convenient choice. We want to be the first choice.”