I would like to take a second to introduce myself. My name is Ryan Pitman and I am with Mulligan's Beach House Bar & Grill (www.mulligansrestaurant.net). Not sure if you have heard yet, We are looking to be the anchor tenants of the Casino project. We are a late addition to the party however feel very strongly that when the leases go up for review this week that we will be approved and welcomed by the residents of Lake Worth.
I see you do a tremendous amount of blogging and really seem to hold the ear of the residents of this city. I wanted to invite you to help introduce us to the city through your blog. Nothing major, maybe just a link to our website, a couple pictures, and a little bit about us.
We are owned and operated by George Hart. He holds a wealth of experience in this industry and is in the store daily working elbows deep with our staff.
Here is the write up from our website-
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George Hart |
Mulligan’s Beach House Bar & Grill, a fun, family-oriented concept, opened the first restaurant in Lauderdale By The Sea in 1998 and since then it has become one of the biggest food and entertainment attractions – and employers. The restaurant offers a dining and lounge experience in a tropical setting with a casual, friendly atmosphere.
Saratoga Springs, N Y native George Hart brings more than seventeen years experience to Mulligan’s, including stints at Hooter’s, TGI Friday’s, Garcia’s Mexican Restaurants and Applebee’s.
He moved to Ft Lauderdale in 1993 and has involved Mulligan’s in contribution efforts for Hibiscus Children’s Home, Big Brother/Big Sisters Organization, Junior Achievement, and Humane Society, Toys for Tots, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, American Cancer Society and The National Save The Turtle Foundation.
I personally grew up in Lake Worth and brought this location to George knowing first hand that we are the perfect match for this project. Mulligan's is a Restaurant first and a bar second! We currently operate four stores (Sebastian, Vero Beach, Jensen Beach, and Downtown Stuart). We are open every day of the year including Thanksgiving and Christmas and serve Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. We are also very financially stable so we will be here to stay! We stay away from anything that draws a rough crowd (loud full bands or hip hop dance nights) as we don't need those type of draws to be successful. We believe it takes three things to make it in this industry Great Food, Great Service, and a Clean Restaurant. We are anxiously anticipating taking the next steps in this project.
Please feel free to reply with any questions you may have about us!
Thank you for reaching out and contacting me. I appreciate the effort. Here are a quick set of questions to get us started. How did you find out about this location? How many square feet are you willing to occupy and would you also consider the second floor? What do you think about a second floor-only restaurant and its chance for success in this building? Where else in Florida do you have restaurants? Do you indoor or outdoor pictures that I could use to show those locations on the blog?
Sent from my iPad
Thanks! Looking forward to hearing from you.
and
Hi again. I would like to put something on the blog today about your restaurant since your proposed lease appears on tomorrow night's City Commission meeting agenda. Can you answer these questions? If I don't hear from you soon, I will have to report that they have gone unanswered. Hope to hear from you!
Wes,
Sorry it took so long to reply, we had a very busy weekend and are gearing up for Tuesdays meeting! Here are the answers to your specific questions.
We saw updates on the news regarding the project multiple times. I having gown up spending summers at he beach have kept a close eye on the progress of the project. After hearing John G's wold not be returning brought it to Georges attention. He asked me to call and set up an apointment to tour the property. We toured the facility and immediately saw the potential in it. We spent the last couple weeks doing our homework and running numbers.
We are looking to occupy the entire first floor on the northern end of the project, roughly 6,000 square feet.
I think a second floor restaurant could absolutely be succesfull. I myself have stood on the balcony of the second floor and the view is breathtaking to say the least. Whoever is looking to go above us will surely be succesfull.
We currently operate 4 locations on the treasure coast. Sebastian, Vero Beach, Jensen Beach, and Stuart
Thanks in advance for your support! We are seriously excited about this project!
Sent from my iPad
Wes,
Sorry I didn't get to say hi at the meeting on Tuesday. We jumped right into the mess that was Tuesday night! Anyhow, George (our owner) wrote a letter to the commission and I wanted to make sure you had an opportunity to see it.
I look forward to meeting you at the next meeting!
January 18, 2012
To Lake Worth City Commissioners,
Last night’s City Commissioner meeting was shocking to me as I have spent weeks gathering and reviewing lease documents, financial statements, references, etc. for a lease to be approved for the Lake Worth Casino Project. I was told by the Realtor that this was simply a formality.
However after sitting through 4 hours of a meeting going nowhere I quickly realized that the commissioners are not viewing this decision properly and heading towards a decision that will leave their community disappointed with this project and a restaurant that Lake Worth will not be proud of.
I am insulted to be placed in the same category with Bokamper’s Sports Bar. After looking into their concept and their website I am appalled that the City of Lake Worth would even consider a place that does events as Bad Ass Bike Night and barely dress their employees.
I feel as certain commissioners are thinking too much about the initial bottom line and are not looking into what the community needs and wants in their back door. Lake Worth needs to build their reputation with Family Oriented locations, businesses that support the community in the way it needs to be supported. Bringing in a sports bar is not doing what is right for the community. As far as an owner of a restaurant saying sure we can serve breakfast or sure we can come up with another concept, that is not easy and if they do that it will not be done right. It takes years, and a strong infrastructure to build a new concept and to add another whole menu to a kitchen. This needs a different kitchen design, different cooks, and years of experience to do this properly. If you choose Bokamper’s you are selling out your entire community for a few dollars because you don’t have any pride in your project and think you can’t get anything better upstairs. That thinking is wrong and really disappointing coming from City Commissioners.
I have performed my due diligence before signing a letter of intent and presented the commissioners with a professional package of our financials, references, etc. in a timely manner and felt as I did what was required to be eligible for a lease. For a business to come in and toss a to-go menu up to the commissioner and state they will pay more money, is unprofessional and not the way this business should have been handled nor should they even be considered without a full proposal.
Mulligan’s Beach House is a company that has been successful doing breakfast, lunch and dinner for 15 years. We are a casual family seafoodrestaurant. Our list of references, donations and news stories of supporting the community that each commissioner was given speaks for itself. We are a restaurant that not only serves great food with fast friendly service to each customer we also highly support each community that we move in. Mulligan’s is what your community wants. We are a restaurant that knows how to handle high volume business, we are family owned and operated. I am in the restaurants every day and I am a hands on owner, constantly training my staff & managers, constantly looking for newbetter products for our menus, I am there talking to my customers and making sure everyone has a wonderful experience and will want to return.
Mulligan’s is currently on beach front locations we know the standards and regulations that need to be in place for the safety of our sea turtles and recycling policies to keep our beaches clean. We already follow those guidelines at our other beachfront properties and will guarantee that you will have a clean healthy place on your property. We have already hired architects and contractors to begin planning for this project and they will need time to get the proper paperwork and ordering process started. Holding this vote off for another month will just be very difficult on us or any other restaurant being considered to do all the work *properly* to build a
successful well-built restaurant. A decision is necessary in the next few weeks by the city commissioners to do this properly.
Mulligan’s Beach House does not promote their bar, we do not do shots, we do not do pitchers of beer, we simply sell a variety of tropical drinks, beer & wine to compliment your meal. Mulligan’s concentrates on families and pleasing all ages from 0 to 100. We are open 365 days a year giving families a place to celebrate all the holidays including Thanksgiving & Christmas with traditional turkey dinners and more holiday festivities.
I am asking that the city commissioners think seriously about your vision for the City of Lake Worth, if you do this you will clearly see Mulligan’s Beach House being the perfect fit for this location. I guarantee you that we will make Lake Worth proud; I guarantee you that once we are selected for that spot and other restaurateurs see the beautiful restaurant that we will build, you will be able to get the rent that is needed to fulfill all of your budget requirements.
Take a moment to view the websites and visit Mulligan’s and visit the Bokamper’s, imagine Bokamper’s with Welcome to the Jungle playing on their website and girls dressed in too tight shorts, wings & BBQ pork, customers smoking at the bar, more TV’S than people, imagine that on your beautiful beach front community…look good? No, now imagine Mulligan’s Beach House with the sounds of steel drums playing, fresh tuna, grouper & snapper on your plate, kids holding balloons, beautiful palm tree fabric booths, water lit bars and professionally dressed well-mannered employees serving your citizens, imagine that on your beautiful beach front community. Mulligan’s is the picture that your community envisions in that location, now you just have to make that vision become reality.
Sincerely,
George Hart,
Owner/Operator,
To Lake Worth City Commissioners,
Last night’s City Commissioner meeting was shocking to me as I have spent weeks gathering and reviewing lease documents, financial statements, references, etc. for a lease to be approved for the Lake Worth Casino Project. I was told by the Realtor that this was simply a formality.
However after sitting through 4 hours of a meeting going nowhere I quickly realized that the commissioners are not viewing this decision properly and heading towards a decision that will leave their community disappointed with this project and a restaurant that Lake Worth will not be proud of.
I am insulted to be placed in the same category with Bokamper’s Sports Bar. After looking into their concept and their website I am appalled that the City of Lake Worth would even consider a place that does events as Bad Ass Bike Night and barely dress their employees.
I feel as certain commissioners are thinking too much about the initial bottom line and are not looking into what the community needs and wants in their back door. Lake Worth needs to build their reputation with Family Oriented locations, businesses that support the community in the way it needs to be supported. Bringing in a sports bar is not doing what is right for the community. As far as an owner of a restaurant saying sure we can serve breakfast or sure we can come up with another concept, that is not easy and if they do that it will not be done right. It takes years, and a strong infrastructure to build a new concept and to add another whole menu to a kitchen. This needs a different kitchen design, different cooks, and years of experience to do this properly. If you choose Bokamper’s you are selling out your entire community for a few dollars because you don’t have any pride in your project and think you can’t get anything better upstairs. That thinking is wrong and really disappointing coming from City Commissioners.
I have performed my due diligence before signing a letter of intent and presented the commissioners with a professional package of our financials, references, etc. in a timely manner and felt as I did what was required to be eligible for a lease. For a business to come in and toss a to-go menu up to the commissioner and state they will pay more money, is unprofessional and not the way this business should have been handled nor should they even be considered without a full proposal.
Mulligan’s Beach House is a company that has been successful doing breakfast, lunch and dinner for 15 years. We are a casual family seafoodrestaurant. Our list of references, donations and news stories of supporting the community that each commissioner was given speaks for itself. We are a restaurant that not only serves great food with fast friendly service to each customer we also highly support each community that we move in. Mulligan’s is what your community wants. We are a restaurant that knows how to handle high volume business, we are family owned and operated. I am in the restaurants every day and I am a hands on owner, constantly training my staff & managers, constantly looking for newbetter products for our menus, I am there talking to my customers and making sure everyone has a wonderful experience and will want to return.
Mulligan’s is currently on beach front locations we know the standards and regulations that need to be in place for the safety of our sea turtles and recycling policies to keep our beaches clean. We already follow those guidelines at our other beachfront properties and will guarantee that you will have a clean healthy place on your property. We have already hired architects and contractors to begin planning for this project and they will need time to get the proper paperwork and ordering process started. Holding this vote off for another month will just be very difficult on us or any other restaurant being considered to do all the work *properly* to build a
successful well-built restaurant. A decision is necessary in the next few weeks by the city commissioners to do this properly.
Mulligan’s Beach House does not promote their bar, we do not do shots, we do not do pitchers of beer, we simply sell a variety of tropical drinks, beer & wine to compliment your meal. Mulligan’s concentrates on families and pleasing all ages from 0 to 100. We are open 365 days a year giving families a place to celebrate all the holidays including Thanksgiving & Christmas with traditional turkey dinners and more holiday festivities.
I am asking that the city commissioners think seriously about your vision for the City of Lake Worth, if you do this you will clearly see Mulligan’s Beach House being the perfect fit for this location. I guarantee you that we will make Lake Worth proud; I guarantee you that once we are selected for that spot and other restaurateurs see the beautiful restaurant that we will build, you will be able to get the rent that is needed to fulfill all of your budget requirements.
Take a moment to view the websites and visit Mulligan’s and visit the Bokamper’s, imagine Bokamper’s with Welcome to the Jungle playing on their website and girls dressed in too tight shorts, wings & BBQ pork, customers smoking at the bar, more TV’S than people, imagine that on your beautiful beach front community…look good? No, now imagine Mulligan’s Beach House with the sounds of steel drums playing, fresh tuna, grouper & snapper on your plate, kids holding balloons, beautiful palm tree fabric booths, water lit bars and professionally dressed well-mannered employees serving your citizens, imagine that on your beautiful beach front community. Mulligan’s is the picture that your community envisions in that location, now you just have to make that vision become reality.
Sincerely,
George Hart,
Owner/Operator,
![Dr. W. H. Cotton’s ode: “Oh, My Lake Worth, Florida!” [circa 1920].](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhHyCn84ZIQ/WezjlEL-0tI/AAAAAAAAPZ4/CzkhriK6zpEJJ3d9Je1495d49gIhnMlxACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LakeWorthPioneers.JPG)
