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Clubs committee annual report shows improvement

JOSH DAVIS/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Members of the Ocean Pines Clubs Committee last Thursday discuss items on an annual report. Committee members said the positive turnaround of food at beverage operations over the course of a year was startling, and endorsed retaining the Matt Ortt Companies to continue overseeing the yacht and beach clubs.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Nov. 22, 2018) What a difference a year makes.

In 2017, the Ocean Pines Clubs Committee concluded in its annual report, “This has been a trying year.”

The committee reported that it was not able to meet with the yacht club manager and had little communication with the acting general manager.

“Not being able to have a conversation with the people directly responsible for implementing policy and changes hindered our ability to advise the [Board of Directors] on issues we felt were important, the report said. “Although our liaison took suggestions to the BOD, we felt that our inability to interact with the department heads had a negative impact on our effectiveness as an advisory committee.”

According to the 2018 annual report, which was forwarded to the board of directors last week, “Fortunately, that changed in May of this year when the BOD acted on our suggestion in the 2017 annual report to consider outsourcing the management of the OP Clubs to a professional management company.

“Bringing in The Matt Ortt Companies to manage the [yacht club] and beach club has made a tremendous improvement in all aspects of the food and beverage operations at these two locations,” the report said.

“Many of the problems and issues the [committee] had been reporting on for the past several years have been addressed to great satisfaction by pretty much everyone who has frequented these establishments. The OP community as a whole has embraced the changes and improvements that the Matt Ortt Companies have made.”

In last year’s report, the committee recommended hiring a restaurant consulting firm to “review the entire business model for the beach club and yacht club.” However, that was accomplished instead by hiring the Ortt Companies.

“The contract with the Matt Ortt Company was set up a little differently than we had anticipated, focusing more on Ocean Pines NOT looking to take over after the consulting firm has fixed all the problems,” the report said. “At this point, after seeing and experiencing the positive changes Matt Ortt Company has made to the decor, food, service, and finances, not to mention the enthusiasm the OP Community has shown for the ‘new yacht club’ and beach club, the [committee] strongly recommends that the board continue with the current contract.”

Many improvements suggested in the previous report have already been made, the report said, including alterations to the yacht club décor, improving the efficiency of yacht club bars, and addressing acoustic problems in the yacht club dining room and ballroom. Committee members also recommended routine maintenance at the country club and working to better the “poor service and mediocre food” there.

“Most of these issues have been addressed by the new management company and Lynda [Huettner], the old GM, was brought back. The bar area and outdoor deck were cleaned and the food/service is now at a much higher level,” the report said.

Recommendations in the 2018 report include further acoustic improvements at the yacht club and improving handicap and wheelchair accessibility there, which the report concluded “is really not adequate.”

The committee also suggested hosting special events and activities during the shoulder season, including murder mystery nights, wine tastings, and trivia nights.

Committee members also endorsed additional renovations to the second floor of the beach club.

The outlier in the report was the Tern Grille, housed inside the Ocean Pines Golf and Country Club. The facility is said to suffer from poor service and hours that are not adequate to meet the needs of customers, largely the golfing community.

“The Committee would strongly suggest that the Matt Ortt Company be consulted on how to better run this food operation,” the report said.

Committee members recommended several budget items, including automatic door and sound baffles, but ultimately deferred to Matt Ortt.

“The Committee recommends that the Board ask the Matt Ortt Company to present their own budget for particular items they feel are necessary to enhance the yacht and beach club experience,” the report said. “It seems logical that restaurant professionals will be better able to establish what they need to further improve the facilities and the dining experience, as well as what those items should realistically cost.

“Contracting to have the Matt Ortt Company manage and run the yacht club and beach club has made a huge improvement to the decor, service, food, finances and customer satisfaction at both facilities. The committee suggests the board listen to and seriously consider any requests they make for items that will enhance the customer experience, and financial benefits to the Ocean Pines Association,” the report added.

Committee Chairman Gary Miller on Monday said he had not yet received significant feedback from board members, but that several had emailed to thank the group for its work.

Miller said one item the committee neglected to include in the report a canopy to cover the walk from the parking lot to the new yacht club entrance, which is now on the side of the building. Heavy rains drove that point home during the most recent committee meeting, last Thursday, and Miller said the suggestion would be included in meeting minutes and forwarded to board members.

“That was something that was talked about initially [by the Matt Ortt Companies] … but nothing was done,” Miller said. “That’s something that I think we’re going to mention in the minutes.”

To view the entire report, visit http://oceanpines.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/CAC-BOD-report-2018-2.pdf.