(Jan. 19, 2017) “Everything that could go wrong did” at the Ocean Pines Association Yacht Club on New Year’s Eve, according to interim General Manager Brett Hill.
That apparently set off a chain reaction within the association and sped up a major rebranding effort that began early 2017.
Hill, speaking during a public meeting with the budget and finance committee last Wednesday, said he was called into the club on Dec. 31, a date when half the staff was apparently “day laborers” – not official employees of Ocean Pines.
Yacht Club Manager Jerry Lewis had been fired the day before, which was at least partially responsible for the additional workers being called in, Hill said.
“When I found out we did not have the staff to run the event we reached out everywhere possible to get people in there,” he said. “I knew the event was a disaster going into it and I did the absolute best possible [job] to turn it around and try to pull it off.”
The association had advertised a package that included a cocktail reception, live music and raw bar that started at 7:30 p.m., followed by a seated dinner at 9 p.m. and a dance party that would run until 1 a.m.
Hill said two employees manned the kitchen that night, aided by six contractors.
Things got off to a poor start.
“My dishwasher sliced his hand on a broken dish early in the evening, which is what caused the problem of no dishes being available for the cocktail hour,” Hill said. “And the only person who could get him out of the kitchen was my executive chef … [who] took him to the hospital for stitches, so I had a kitchen with no executive chef and no dishwasher.”
The situation did not improve.
“It wasn’t good,” Hill continued. “That was one of the reasons why we had transitioned when we did.”
At midnight on Jan. 1 the yacht club, now being called “Mumford’s Landing,” released an ad on its Facebook page proclaiming, “NEW YEAR NEW BAR.” The post touted a new 20-foot-long bar called “Tuffy’s Tavern” and changes to the restaurant at the facility, now being called “The Cove at Mumford’s.”
An official statement was released on Jan. 3, confirming that Event Coordinator Brian Townsend had replaced Lewis, at least temporarily.
Hill elaborated on the issues at the club during a phone interview, last Thursday. He said he had been consulting with other restaurant owners in the community, seeking help.
“As someone not familiar with the industry, my experience was strictly working at a pool snack bar when I was 14 years old, flipping hamburgers,” he said. “I can’t say by any means I am experienced in the restaurant or hospitality profession, but having knowledgeable local help down here that understands the market and has been successful in this area really is helping me understand the operation, understand what I should be looking at as manager and guiding me on where the goals really need to be for it to be a successful.”
A portion of the club was shut down for renovations following New Year’s Eve, although Hill said parts would remain open on weekends in order to fulfill contracts with live entertainment.
“It is, for Friday and Saturday nights, being opened on a limited basis,” he said. “I believe the intention now is going to our full operating hours of Wednesday-to-Sunday night at the end of the month.”
Hill said he expected a soft opening during the first week, with “some type of grand opening” scheduled between the Super Bowl (Feb. 5) and Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14).
Most of the renovations, he said, consisted of “a heavy-duty deep cleaning” and cosmetic work being performed by Ocean Pines staff.
“We have people that were committed as salaried employees who are pitching in and doing most of the work,” he said. “Outside of a lot of paint and a couple hundred dollars across Home Depot and Sherwin Williams, that’s about the bulk of our expense.”
He said some furniture that had previously been ordered would go into the building, and that the existing bar had been reconfigured.
“It’s utilizing a lot of the same stuff with the same staff, but just getting in a better position to work more efficiently,” he said.
Hill said 11 staff members remained at the club, including part-time help. Rob Sosonovich will continue as the executive chef.
He said the association had about a 90-day window to find a full-time replacement for Lewis, before the busy season starts.
On the apparent abrupt firing of Lewis, Hill said, “There were several factors and it just kind of came to a head. The decision had to be made to move on.”
Jim Beisler, a member of the association’s budget and finance committee, broached the subject during the meeting last week.
He said he had been in the community for 17 years and had often seen Einstein’s “Theory of Insanity” enacted with regards to the yacht club.
“Keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” Beisler said. “The latest example of that was New Year’s Eve.”
Beisler said the yacht club historically had issues, dating back well before the new building was opened in 2014.
“We have continually gone back to the yacht club, let’s give it another chance, give it another chance and we’ve been, for the most part, disappointed. I hope like hell that this is going to be fixed this time,” he said.
That apparently set off a chain reaction within the association and sped up a major rebranding effort that began early 2017.
Hill, speaking during a public meeting with the budget and finance committee last Wednesday, said he was called into the club on Dec. 31, a date when half the staff was apparently “day laborers” – not official employees of Ocean Pines.
Yacht Club Manager Jerry Lewis had been fired the day before, which was at least partially responsible for the additional workers being called in, Hill said.
“When I found out we did not have the staff to run the event we reached out everywhere possible to get people in there,” he said. “I knew the event was a disaster going into it and I did the absolute best possible [job] to turn it around and try to pull it off.”
The association had advertised a package that included a cocktail reception, live music and raw bar that started at 7:30 p.m., followed by a seated dinner at 9 p.m. and a dance party that would run until 1 a.m.
Hill said two employees manned the kitchen that night, aided by six contractors.
Things got off to a poor start.
“My dishwasher sliced his hand on a broken dish early in the evening, which is what caused the problem of no dishes being available for the cocktail hour,” Hill said. “And the only person who could get him out of the kitchen was my executive chef … [who] took him to the hospital for stitches, so I had a kitchen with no executive chef and no dishwasher.”
The situation did not improve.
“It wasn’t good,” Hill continued. “That was one of the reasons why we had transitioned when we did.”
At midnight on Jan. 1 the yacht club, now being called “Mumford’s Landing,” released an ad on its Facebook page proclaiming, “NEW YEAR NEW BAR.” The post touted a new 20-foot-long bar called “Tuffy’s Tavern” and changes to the restaurant at the facility, now being called “The Cove at Mumford’s.”
An official statement was released on Jan. 3, confirming that Event Coordinator Brian Townsend had replaced Lewis, at least temporarily.
Hill elaborated on the issues at the club during a phone interview, last Thursday. He said he had been consulting with other restaurant owners in the community, seeking help.
“As someone not familiar with the industry, my experience was strictly working at a pool snack bar when I was 14 years old, flipping hamburgers,” he said. “I can’t say by any means I am experienced in the restaurant or hospitality profession, but having knowledgeable local help down here that understands the market and has been successful in this area really is helping me understand the operation, understand what I should be looking at as manager and guiding me on where the goals really need to be for it to be a successful.”
A portion of the club was shut down for renovations following New Year’s Eve, although Hill said parts would remain open on weekends in order to fulfill contracts with live entertainment.
“It is, for Friday and Saturday nights, being opened on a limited basis,” he said. “I believe the intention now is going to our full operating hours of Wednesday-to-Sunday night at the end of the month.”
Hill said he expected a soft opening during the first week, with “some type of grand opening” scheduled between the Super Bowl (Feb. 5) and Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14).
Most of the renovations, he said, consisted of “a heavy-duty deep cleaning” and cosmetic work being performed by Ocean Pines staff.
“We have people that were committed as salaried employees who are pitching in and doing most of the work,” he said. “Outside of a lot of paint and a couple hundred dollars across Home Depot and Sherwin Williams, that’s about the bulk of our expense.”
He said some furniture that had previously been ordered would go into the building, and that the existing bar had been reconfigured.
“It’s utilizing a lot of the same stuff with the same staff, but just getting in a better position to work more efficiently,” he said.
Hill said 11 staff members remained at the club, including part-time help. Rob Sosonovich will continue as the executive chef.
He said the association had about a 90-day window to find a full-time replacement for Lewis, before the busy season starts.
On the apparent abrupt firing of Lewis, Hill said, “There were several factors and it just kind of came to a head. The decision had to be made to move on.”
Jim Beisler, a member of the association’s budget and finance committee, broached the subject during the meeting last week.
He said he had been in the community for 17 years and had often seen Einstein’s “Theory of Insanity” enacted with regards to the yacht club.
“Keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” Beisler said. “The latest example of that was New Year’s Eve.”
Beisler said the yacht club historically had issues, dating back well before the new building was opened in 2014.
“We have continually gone back to the yacht club, let’s give it another chance, give it another chance and we’ve been, for the most part, disappointed. I hope like hell that this is going to be fixed this time,” he said.