(Sept. 22, 2016) Along with changes in leadership at the Ocean Pines Association board of directors and general manager levels come new policies at many of the amenities, along with new expectations for those who help guide them.
Last Thursday, the clubs committee met at the yacht club to discuss some of those new expectations. Present was yacht club manager Jerry Lewis, chef Rob Sosonovich and new committee liaison Dave Stevens.
Another director, Cheryl Jacobs, was also present during the meeting.
What did not change, however, was the makeup of the committee itself, which continued with Les Purcell as chairman and Gary Miller as secretary.
Stevens, in his first meeting as the new liaison, said he read over the meeting minutes from the past two years and was “mildly impressed.”
“One of the things that we’re anxious to find out is what your and the board’s expectations are for the yacht club in this coming year, and what you see our committee being able to do to help achieve whatever those goals are,” Miller said.
Stevens said interim General Manager Brett Hill had spent more than 30 percent of his time during the last several weeks focused on yacht club activities, but that he was still gathering information.
Hill, in a memo to the board members, apparently warned about being “Monday morning quarterbacks” in judging many of the amenities, according to Stevens.
Jacobs said the success of the club was “so high on my priority list,” adding that she pushed for new awnings there, as well as handing out comment cards to guests.
“I think there are additional things that are in the budget that we should work towards making happen, all for the betterment of the yacht club’s success,” she said. “Whatever I can continue to do be assured I will do that.”
Miller asked whether the new board was considering closing the club during the winter, when it had traditionally lost money.
Stevens said that would be “pure speculation,” but added that option could not be taken off the table entirely. He said there were obvious questions about why the association was looking into fixing up a “$5 million, two-year-old building.”
“Food, menu, service – those are why people don’t come here, not because the sun’s in their eyes,” Stevens said. “Inconsistent service, inconsistent food – we’ve all experienced that.”
Members of the committee discussed bringing in consultants, as well as a professional decorator because, according to Purcell, “people talk about how boring the dining room was.”
Miller also worried whether Lewis and Sosonovich would be given the chance to turn the club around.
“I think I can pretty well guarantee that Jerry and Rob will be given a chance,” Stevens said, adding that, rather than drastically changing the layout, the focus on the club would be to “basically work as well as we can [with what we have].”
According to Purcell, the majority of ire directed at the club was from the “old timers” who fondly remember the old yacht club.
“The old club is not here anymore,” he said. “This is what we’ve got – let’s make the best of it.
“When this place is really crowded, I make it a point to talk to people, especially people I don’t know, and most of them really like it here,” Purcell continued. “It’s the people that are used to the old building that are the ones that do all the bitching. It’s too bad, really – you see how this place fills up when Tranzfusion is playing outside. Most of them are not old timers – most of them are young people and they love it here.”
Committee member Audrey Wahl agreed, saying the old club was “cozy and familiar to old timers,” but that the new building better suited the changing demographic.
“It’s a benefit as to our community to have all these younger people coming in,” she said. “The newer people have a very positive [view]. They think this is a wonderful place – a beautiful place – and it really is.”
Still, Stevens said the “food isn’t always good” and that service continued to be an issue.
“There are times when it’s obvious that there’s a total lack of training and the people literally don’t know what to do,” he said.
Addressing food concerns, Lewis said the new chef signaled a clear change in direction and said he was pursuing “different train of thought.”
“I realized that 70 percent that come to this yacht club are not looking for highfalutin’,” he said. “They are looking for something a little less snooty, a little more casual … by menu items themselves as where as pricing. This is where Rob comes from.”
He repeatedly praised Sosonovich, who he called an “incredible person” and said his adaptability and ease with the staff was superior to the previous lead in the kitchen.
Sosonovich, for his part, said the club was working on a larger, “friendlier” menu that was more affordable, and twice the size of the previous two-page list.
“We’re listening to everybody’s voices and trying to accommodate a little bit of everything,” he said. “We’re trying to get the community we lost over the years and bring them back, and be a more family friendly [and] hangout restaurant – you can be all of them at once and that’s what we’re going for.”
To the delight of Jacobs, Lewis said the popular cheesesteak egg rolls would stay on the new menu. The club will also feature “date night” and NFL specials, once a month “char night” and wine club dinners, as well as a fall concert series in the upstairs banquet hall.
Weekend specials, dinner specials and daytime dining specials will also be offered, Lewis said. The club is currently observing offseason hours, open Thursday evening for dinner, as well as Friday, Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner.
On staffing, Lewis said the club had lost all of its college and seasonal workers and was struggling to maintain a core staff. As of last Thursday, he said the wait staff was down to just four employees.
The club is hiring, and Lewis said inquiries could be addressed to him by calling 410-641-7501.
“We’ll keep our fingers crossed with the new menu,” Jacobs said. “I think that’s going to be a big plus.”
Last Thursday, the clubs committee met at the yacht club to discuss some of those new expectations. Present was yacht club manager Jerry Lewis, chef Rob Sosonovich and new committee liaison Dave Stevens.
Another director, Cheryl Jacobs, was also present during the meeting.
What did not change, however, was the makeup of the committee itself, which continued with Les Purcell as chairman and Gary Miller as secretary.
Stevens, in his first meeting as the new liaison, said he read over the meeting minutes from the past two years and was “mildly impressed.”
“One of the things that we’re anxious to find out is what your and the board’s expectations are for the yacht club in this coming year, and what you see our committee being able to do to help achieve whatever those goals are,” Miller said.
Stevens said interim General Manager Brett Hill had spent more than 30 percent of his time during the last several weeks focused on yacht club activities, but that he was still gathering information.
Hill, in a memo to the board members, apparently warned about being “Monday morning quarterbacks” in judging many of the amenities, according to Stevens.
Jacobs said the success of the club was “so high on my priority list,” adding that she pushed for new awnings there, as well as handing out comment cards to guests.
“I think there are additional things that are in the budget that we should work towards making happen, all for the betterment of the yacht club’s success,” she said. “Whatever I can continue to do be assured I will do that.”
Miller asked whether the new board was considering closing the club during the winter, when it had traditionally lost money.
Stevens said that would be “pure speculation,” but added that option could not be taken off the table entirely. He said there were obvious questions about why the association was looking into fixing up a “$5 million, two-year-old building.”
“Food, menu, service – those are why people don’t come here, not because the sun’s in their eyes,” Stevens said. “Inconsistent service, inconsistent food – we’ve all experienced that.”
Members of the committee discussed bringing in consultants, as well as a professional decorator because, according to Purcell, “people talk about how boring the dining room was.”
Miller also worried whether Lewis and Sosonovich would be given the chance to turn the club around.
“I think I can pretty well guarantee that Jerry and Rob will be given a chance,” Stevens said, adding that, rather than drastically changing the layout, the focus on the club would be to “basically work as well as we can [with what we have].”
According to Purcell, the majority of ire directed at the club was from the “old timers” who fondly remember the old yacht club.
“The old club is not here anymore,” he said. “This is what we’ve got – let’s make the best of it.
“When this place is really crowded, I make it a point to talk to people, especially people I don’t know, and most of them really like it here,” Purcell continued. “It’s the people that are used to the old building that are the ones that do all the bitching. It’s too bad, really – you see how this place fills up when Tranzfusion is playing outside. Most of them are not old timers – most of them are young people and they love it here.”
Committee member Audrey Wahl agreed, saying the old club was “cozy and familiar to old timers,” but that the new building better suited the changing demographic.
“It’s a benefit as to our community to have all these younger people coming in,” she said. “The newer people have a very positive [view]. They think this is a wonderful place – a beautiful place – and it really is.”
Still, Stevens said the “food isn’t always good” and that service continued to be an issue.
“There are times when it’s obvious that there’s a total lack of training and the people literally don’t know what to do,” he said.
Addressing food concerns, Lewis said the new chef signaled a clear change in direction and said he was pursuing “different train of thought.”
“I realized that 70 percent that come to this yacht club are not looking for highfalutin’,” he said. “They are looking for something a little less snooty, a little more casual … by menu items themselves as where as pricing. This is where Rob comes from.”
He repeatedly praised Sosonovich, who he called an “incredible person” and said his adaptability and ease with the staff was superior to the previous lead in the kitchen.
Sosonovich, for his part, said the club was working on a larger, “friendlier” menu that was more affordable, and twice the size of the previous two-page list.
“We’re listening to everybody’s voices and trying to accommodate a little bit of everything,” he said. “We’re trying to get the community we lost over the years and bring them back, and be a more family friendly [and] hangout restaurant – you can be all of them at once and that’s what we’re going for.”
To the delight of Jacobs, Lewis said the popular cheesesteak egg rolls would stay on the new menu. The club will also feature “date night” and NFL specials, once a month “char night” and wine club dinners, as well as a fall concert series in the upstairs banquet hall.
Weekend specials, dinner specials and daytime dining specials will also be offered, Lewis said. The club is currently observing offseason hours, open Thursday evening for dinner, as well as Friday, Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner.
On staffing, Lewis said the club had lost all of its college and seasonal workers and was struggling to maintain a core staff. As of last Thursday, he said the wait staff was down to just four employees.
The club is hiring, and Lewis said inquiries could be addressed to him by calling 410-641-7501.
“We’ll keep our fingers crossed with the new menu,” Jacobs said. “I think that’s going to be a big plus.”