The best thing about E. R. Bradley's Beach Club is its location at the beautiful Lake Worth Golf Course. The new outside decking overlooking the golfcourse and the Intracoastal Waterway has an unsurpassed ambiance. Umbrellas are on order and will be covering the outside tables, a perfect area for dining.
The city will receive $3,000 a month on a ten year lease (no escalation clause and no percentage of profits) that is renewable for an additional 10 years. The city of Lake Worth will be solely responsible for all utility fees and costs, including but not limited to: telephone, electricity, garbage removal, sewer and water service. Such a deal.
The ribbon cutting was yesterday but for some reason, the restaurant was unprepared to open to the public. In the lobby was a sign that its grand opening would be Friday. A person identified as the owner, Nick Coniglio, son of the mayor of Palm Beach, did not seem too happy. I approached him on my way out and he said that he was opening earlier than planned...mentioned that many of his staff were still untrained...and he just was not interested in a ribbon cutting. When I suggested that it was good publicity, he said he did not need the publicity. Well, it's true--E.R. Bradley's does have a reputation and following of its own but it's also true that it does need the public.
Yesterday was their first day and the kinks had not been worked out...only one computer it was explained. An ObamaCare "glitch" came to mind. The commission was there along with the Mayor and many of our residents who stayed for lunch to support Mr. Coniglio's new venture by spending money on lunch and cocktails. By the time I arrived there and eventually finished my tuna sandwich ($9.95 plus tax and tip) that included a small plastic bag of unopened potato chips, it was two hours later. On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being tops or the most expensive, here are my ratings for the opening day that are bound to get better:
Service -- 0 -- Disaster
Food -- 3
Courtesy of Servers -- 5
Location -- 5
Price -- 3
I'll try again next month as this might have been nothing more than opening day blues.
The entire mge team was sort of weird. They did not approach one table to thank people for coming or inviting them back.
ReplyDeleteService? There wasn't any service. Food? My vegetables were not even cooked.
ReplyDeleteLet's chalk it up to opening day even though this is a restauranteur who has been in business for years and whose family owns many restaurants. Not sure there should have been and "glitches." There were so many of them that it is hard to start naming them. Even my bill was wrong with an up-charge on it that belonged to someone else. I wish them all luck and hope it quiets down and smooths itself out.
ReplyDeleteEveryone will have to admit--the location can't be beat!
What a great deal ,an a liquor license for only 40$ ..so who is paying the bills the city ? What a great all the money they will make
ReplyDeleteRestaurant owners often become very arrogant, and forget that they are in the HOSPITALITY industry. Have to be Hospitable. That means welcoming, non-grouchy, and totally focused on serving the customers great food. I'm very disappointed to hear that Nick & Co. don't seem to have this focus. Hopefully things will improve. Maybe they could look to Brogue's for inspiration. Now there's a great family-run restaurant. The owners are always gracious, always welcoming, and always focused on the customer. Great food, too.
ReplyDeleteFirst you get into some kind of confrontation with the owners, then you rip the place on the first day. Then the idiots that read your blog chime in with their sour miserable input. The place sat empty most of the time, the city was LOSING money there. Now finally there's a chance it may be successful and the city has some revenue to show for it and you brainless clowns are complaining about that too. Such a miserable group of negative people this blog
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input, anonymous at 11:10. Truth hurts. Now I could sit here and spin the opening day but why should I? If we make ANY money on this lease--it will be a miracle if we break even.
ReplyDeleteThis commission tells us they are business minded. I don't see it. I don't see it in any fashion.
There was NO confrontation with the owners...he was asked a simple question. I got an answer that was rather simple too.
I was there and i think the problem was that most everyone sat down at the same time to order. It all got jammed up and service then came to a screeching halt. It was even difficult to get my bill. it will get better and maybe it will be a great thing for our golf course and it will attract people there. I still don't understand why we would only charge such a small fee.
ReplyDeleteI really take offense at the poster at 11:10. Whoever wrote that just told us he is a damn ID*&T. We knew that all along. The trouble with people in this city they have forgotten how to tell the truth about anything. Miserable SOB's. I agree. We will be lucky to come out on this lease and taxpayers will be underwriting this so that a business can make money.
ReplyDeleteIf this wsasn't some sort of poltiical publicity stunt then why wasn't the owner up there cutting the ribbon? Isn't it his store? He's standing in the background not even up in the front. No wonder he was in a bad mood.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone was there yesterday let's hear your review instead of calling people idiots who read this blog. I think someone calling someone an idiot is one. I heard that the mayor's table got served before other people and that was part of the slow down for the rest of the crowd. Any truth to that?
ReplyDeleteIf this place is successful and no other restaurant has been there, then they have done it by good food, good prices and good service. More than likely they will make it on their bar business. They have been given a beautiful location and the city won't be making anything after all is said and done. 11pm with a rocking bar with noise resonating all over that neighborhood. I can hear it now.
ReplyDeleteIf the management wasn't ready to open then why did they? Any sort of snafu will be remembered by those who were there and will be mentioned to their friends and their friends friends. The owner's not worried. Good for him. Probably those who came later had better service.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best parts of the Lease:
ReplyDeleteThe Tenant(s) is not allowed to employ
undocumented aliens to perform any services.
I heard the Queen ( Mayor ) was holding court yesterday, and you Lynn, and Helen were banished to the corner like the Court Jester, and her side kick.
ReplyDeleteLOL--Helen and I got there right before the ribbon cutting and took a table at the back of the room directly by the window so we would have that gorgeous view. The mayor and the little feisty gal who directs the commission from the front row of the city chamber at every chance she gets :) were sitting in the middle of the room. It's not the mayor who is "Queen."
ReplyDeleteI'm in the camp of those thinking that E.R. Bradley's will be very VERY good for the Golf Course AND the city. The golf course has never had anyone put their money where their mouth is. Coniglio did. He built the deck and remodeled as much as can be done without going into major exterior changes.
ReplyDeleteThe mere fact they opened at all in this short of time is testament to experienced restaurantuers. All the music faces our friends on the island so the neighbors shouldn't be bothered too much.
Just one more good reason to come to Lake Worth. Welcome Nick, Mitch and crew.
Just not sure that the average price will be accepted by the people in LW who like to dine out.Time will tell.
ReplyDelete"First you get into some kind of confrontation with the owners, then you rip the place on the first day."
ReplyDeleteWhat happened, happened. Lynn reported. I thought the review was very fair. I look forward to visiting this restaurant. It will be a draw and an asset to our golf course. I'll give it a couple of weeks before I visit. Thanks for giving us the 411, Lynn. Katie
I'm looking forward to trying them out on Sat. No matter how experienced, opening day is always full of glitches and snafus. Most places do a soft opening a couple of weeks prior to a grand opening but it sounds like the City rushed them along a bit.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't judge or rate any place on day one, in fact even the first month is probably too early to judge.
I went there today and thought the prices were on the high side. The best you can do with a sandwich and drink is $15 with tip.
ReplyDeleteEasy guess on 11:10. A hater to the first degree. She needs to be locked up, muzzled and the key thrown down a sewer. No, better yet, throw her down the sewer.
ReplyDeleteWow! After reading this post and the comments, I will be sure not to go to this overpriced and bad food restaurant.
ReplyDeleteYou need to go yourself. This was opening day and they were unprepared...mistakes were made. I am sure that they all will be corrected. The food tasted good, by the way.
ReplyDeleteWe went by this evening (Saturday). We sat on the deck because there were tons of people watching a game inside and they were loud and having a good time. There was a birthday party being held in the main dining room. Considering we were sitting directly overlooking the intra coastal water way watching a couple boats go by and the birds around snook islands, I thought the price was fair, service was much better than average, and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and glass of wine.
ReplyDeleteThis will truly be a destination and a welcome addition to Lake Worth.