By Greg Ellison

(Sept. 24, 2020) The Ocean Pines Yacht Club, which moves to fall hours and offseason menu selections in October, is sponsoring deep discounts for food and drinks on Sunday to thank patrons for supporting the establishment during a challenging summer.

Matt Ortt Companies cofounder Ralph DeAngelus said the Yacht Club will be closed on Monday through Wednesday for the winter offseason.

“We started our new fall schedule yesterday,” he said. “We start our new winter menu on Oct. 1”

Before changing menus, however, the Yacht Club will offer a special discount for customers on Sept 27, DeAngelus said.

“What we’re going to do our last day of business with this menu, which is Sunday, we’re going to do 30 percent off your check,” he said.

The customer appreciation event is inclusive of food and drinks for dine-in service only.

“The 30 percent off for the food is a strategic move to help us run out our inventory,” he said.  “The 30 percent off whatever booze you want to drink is a thank you for everybody sticking with us all summer.”

The Yacht Club will then be open Thursday through Sunday until May.

“It was without a doubt the single most challenging year, not only we had, but everybody had,” he said, “I’m not crying here because everybody else is in the same boat.”

Reflecting on the summer of 2020, DeAngelus said Ocean Pines residents likely provided stronger support for restaurant facilities than other communities.

“I don’t have facts to back that up, but my feeling is we were a little less negatively affected than any other suburban areas outside of a city,” he said.

The seasonal transition also coincides with Gov. Larry Hogan revising capacity limits for indoor dining from half to 75 percent beginning this past Monday.

DeAngelus said the amended health-safety rules returns the restaurant to full capacity when factoring additional outdoor tables.

“The only difference is … it’s not full capacity indoors, it’s an extra 25 percent capacity outside and a lesser 25 percent inside,” he said.

Outdoor service is largely weather dependent, DeAngelus said.

“I’d like to see a slight temperature uptick for the remainder of September and October,” he said.

The offseason menu selections include the return of the highly successful “Family Meal” selections.

“That was a big thing for Ocean Pines they really liked,” he said. “That was a big request.”

DeAngelus said earlier this year when state directives limited restaurants to carry out or delivery service only, the Yacht Club introduced family-sized portions.

“Ocean Pines residents didn’t want to leave their house but they wanted to eat our food,” he said. “That’s where the amenity part of what we do comes into play, because instead of being a business we became an amenity.”

DeAngelus said although the schedule remains to be set, the Yacht Club will likely reintroduce delivery options as cold weather engulfs the region.

“We didn’t mind doing it, but it was challenging,” he said. “When the dead of winter sets back in, we will probably go back to some form of delivery.”