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operating as ‘Seaside Al Fresco’,” says Dan Tinghitella, director of culture and operations for Great Southern Café in the heart of Seaside. “There are tents lining the Square, creating an open-air market for guests to enjoy as they dine or wait to enter our shops and restaurants. With the parking spaces tem- porarily removed, Great Southern Café has a wonderful opportunity to expand our footprint outside and safely accom- modate additional diners for lunch and dinner under a large tent at our entrance. We’re known for both outstanding food and the lively dining scene on our front patio, so we view the new setup as an enhancement to what people already love about Great Southern.
order and pick up food,” says Murphy. “We now take orders in advance by phone and apps; and spent some of the down time as if it was a soft opening, working any kinks out of the new system. My two priorities are to operate as safely as possible, while maintaining as much of the Barefoot BBQ airstream experience that our patrons love.” Murphy acknowledges the lengthy town shutdown was extremely difficult but appreciates the way the town supported its business owners. “I have to take my hat off to the Seaside leadership. While so many of us were out of work, the Chapel at Seaside launched a fundraising campaign to support the employees of Seaside businesses, and the Davis Family Foundation matched the money raised. Over $300,000 was distributed, and a second fundraiser has been launched which promises to be just as successful. Everyone at Seaside is working together to adapt to this unprecedented situation, and I’m looking forward to welcoming customers back to Barefoot BBQ.” www.facebook.com/barefootbbq If there’s such a thing as a silver lining during a pandemic, it may be that Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant and Rooftop Bar, a Seaside tradition for nearly 25 years, has been undergoing an extensive expansion project. Since late last year, owner Dave Rauschkolb has been overseeing the addition of a spacious boardwalk with seating and bar service overlooking the Gulf, and an expanded Rooftop Bar and Viewing Pavilion with new bathrooms on the north side of the Roof Deck. A long-anticipated addition is a tower housing an elevator to provide additional access to the second floor with an Observation Post at the top of the tower. This will be the new home of Bud & Alley’s famous sunset bell. During the construction, Black Bear Bread Company in Grayton Beach, co-owned by Rauschkolb and Phil McDonald, has been offering take- out service, and in mid-May, Bud & Alleys, Pizza Bar, and Taco Bar in Seaside began curbside pick-up service. “Even though these have been difficult times for all of our local business owners, I believe it was a wise move for Seaside’s leadership to shut down the town,” says Rauschkolb. “It was the best thing they could do for the health of our residents and visitors. Now, with the collective decision to reopen at the end of May with social distancing and face masks strongly encouraged, the merchants are excited to welcome locals and visitors back to our restaurants and shops. Personally, I can’t wait for everyone to see the new spaces at Bud & Alley’s. I have a feeling I am going to get a little teary when I get to ring the sunset bell once again.” www.budandalleys.com
George’s: Seared Sea Scallops
James Murphy of Barefoot BBQ
“We offered curbside pick-up during the spring, but as we move into the summer, we will discontinue the pick-up operation and focus on seated dining for lunch and dinner. As we modify the restaurant and train our staff to incorporate all of the required safety protocols, we will pause Great Southern’s breakfast service for now, and hope to bring it back later in the season. Along with all of the businesses in Seaside and along 30-A, we will evaluate and adjust as needed to keep James Murphy, who has operated one of Seaside’s most popular airstream walk-up restaurants, Barefoot BBQ, for over a decade with his business partner Jenny Murphy, made good use of the weeks Seaside was closed to make necessary changes in preparation for a late May re-opening. “As an airstream operation, we didn’t have in-house dining, but we needed to figure out how our staff could safely operate in close quarters and how we could adjust interactions with our customers as they patrons and employees safe.” www.thegreatsoutherncafe.com
Restaurant Paradis: Fresh Fish Entree
person-to-person contact. Now that we’re back open for lunch and dinner, we’re encouraging our guests to continue to use the system even with in-house dining. “During the spring, we kept our patrons up-to-date on new menu offerings and specials via George’s Facebook page,” she continues. “It was a wonderful way for us all to stay connected, too. We also prepared food packages for employees who needed help, and added a gratuity to take-out orders to benefit our furloughed staff. George’s parent company, Spell Restaurant Group, created an online fundraiser for employees of the company’s local restaurants, and we are so grateful for the support this effort received.” www.spellrestaurantgroup.com “When visitors return to Seaside this summer, they will immediately notice some changes. The most obvious is that Central Square has been closed to cars and is now
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