:The Sun/Sunday, February 16, 2014 LOCAL/REGIONAL NEWS www.sunnewspapers.net C OurTown Page 13 Revamped Snook Haven hits $1M in first-year sales By SCOTT LOCKWOOD STAFF WRITER SARASOTA COUNTY - A little more than a year ago, the restaurant at Snook Haven, one of the area's most popular outdoor hangout spots over the last 50 years, was undergoing a massive renovation in preparation for being reopened after the Venice Pier Group was awarded the contract to run the county-owned eatery. Now, as the restau- rant celebrates its one-year anniversary of being run by Venice Pier the owner of Sharky's on the Pier restaurant, headed by Mike Pachota it truly is a place that, as a sign in front of the restaurant says, "Snook Haven: Where cool people meet." Pachota said this week that the restaurant cleared over just over $1 million in sales for the year, de- spite not opening until February and being closed for five weeks in September, thanks to road construction on the dirt road leading to the restaurant that is located directly on the Myakka River. "It was a lot of work and a lot of effort on our part to do all that, as well as do a good job on food and service," Pachota told the Sarasota County Commission earlier this week. "I am happy to report that we did accomplish our first year's main goal, and that was to provide the best barbecue in a safe, friendly environment that's smack-dab on the river. That brought Snook Haven back to life." Snook Haven waitress Ruthy Miller, who is affectionately known as "Miss Snook" and a customer of 25 years, was one of the first of the 50 new employees hired when Snook Haven reopened. She said that when the restaurant started, most of the staff were new in the restaurant business and had to learn on the fly during the busy sea- son. It now plays host to banjo shows on its outdoor stage that draw hundreds of people on Thursday, as well as other well-attended events on weekends. "We did a good job, but now we do a good job and we're smooth," Miller said Friday. "It's an incredibly fun time, great entertainment, great food and great fun. Our guests come out here not just because we have great food ... they come out here because of what it is. It's Old Florida and it feels like Old Florida." Miller said that customers have been saying the food at Snook Haven is much better than it used to be. Minnesota resident Al Simon, who stays in the area for four months each year, said he comes to Snook Haven at least five times a week earning him the title of Snook Haven's first regular. "I just love this atmo- sphere, the friendliness of the help and the food is fantastic," Simon said prior to eating lunch Friday. "I just love ev- erything about it. From day one on it's been great and it seems like they've done it right from the beginning on." Pachota said he didn't think it would be possible to hit the $1 million in sales mark after being closed in September, but credited his staff in making a late run that saw the figures come in at $1.03 million. That, in turn, earned Sarasota County $2,300 for its 7 percent bonus over- ride called for in the contract if there's more than $1 million in sales. Sarasota County Commissioner Christine Robinson, who said she and her SUN PHOTO BY SCOTT LOCKWOOD The Snook Haven restaurant gets ready to open for lunch Friday. The restaurant topped $1 million in sales during its first year of operation by the Venice Pier Group, despite being open for only 10 months. family are frequent vis- itors to the restaurant, said Snook Haven is a fantastic example of a public-private partner- ship in action. Venice Pier Group's contract runs until July 2018, when it will be up for renewal. "Everybody enjoys it and it's frequented by many of those in South County," Robinson said. "I also see a lot of peo- ple there with out-of- state tags. I was worried that we had lost a lot of momentum because of it's closing, but it's been gained back and more. It's just a success story for Sarasota County." Pachota said the tour boat runs twice daily, canoe rentals are up and retail sales have been good in addition to food and beverage sales. He is excited about the upcoming second year for Snook Haven, which originally opened in 1948 as a fishing camp. The the county purchased the property in 2006 for $2.5 million, in order to protect and maintain its cultural, historical and environmental assets, and to increase public access to the waterfront. "The long-term po- tential for Snook Haven is great," Pachota said. "It's almost unlimited. We look forward to a long, prosperous rela- tionship with Sarasota County." Email: slodkwood@sun-heroald.com I COMMUNITY NEWS BRIEFS Wine & Jazz Festival set The Ninth Annual Wine & Jazz Festival will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at Laishley Park, 100 Nesbit St., Punta Gorda. Live entertainment will be provided as follows: 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. - Mindi Abair. 2:45 p.m. to 4 p.m. - Richard Elliott. 4:30 p.m. to close - Gerald Albright and Norman Brown. All of the acts will perform in the finale. Gates to the park will open to the public at 12:30 p.m. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. For ticket information, and more information regarding the festival, call 941-639-3720. 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Dearborn St. Medicare and Most Other Insurance Accepted www. westcoastdermatology. corn HOLIDAY CLOSURES In observance of the Presidents Day holiday, all Charlotte County government offices and Punta Gorda city offices will be closed Monday. All post offices also will be closed. While 20th Judicial Circuit Courts are open, the Charlotte County Clerk of the Circuit Court's offices will be closed. Other offices and services will be affected as well, including: County Administration Center: closed. Charlotte County Utilities: customer service will be closed; payments accepted by phone at 941-764-4300; or by electronic billing at www.CharlotteCountyFL.gov, and select"Utilities"from the department list. Standby staff will be on call for utility emergencies at 941-764-4300. Garbage pickup: Curbside collection, including trash, yard waste and recycling, will occur as scheduled. Mini-Transfer facilities: both the West Charlotte and Mid-County facilities are closed. Charlotte County Landfill on Zemel Road: open. Charlotte Harbor Visitor & Convention Bureau offices: closed. Visitors with questions about things to do can call 800-652-6090, or visit www.CharlotteHarborTravel.com. Fire/EMS Headquarters will be closed; all other stations will be open. Sunshine Ride: limited service for prearranged reservations only; scheduling office closed. Dial-A-Ride: open for regular operating hours. Family Services Center: Charlotte County government offices at the center will be closed; limited center activities will be available. Charlotte County Library Administration: closed. Libraries: closed. Charlotte County Historical Center: closed. Harold Avenue Recreation Center: closed. South County Regional Park Recreation Center: closed. Joseph A. Tringali Recreation Center: closed. Community Services administration offices: closed. Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center offices: open. Port Charlotte Beach Recreation Center: closed. Skate parks: open. Pools: closed. Charlotte Sports Park offices: closed. Edison State College Charlotte Campus: open. Edison Collegiate High School at the Charlotte campus will be closed, and will resume classes Wednesday. Charlotte County Public Schools: closed. Due to a professional development day Tuesday, classes for students will resume Wednesday. Charlotte County Sheriff's Office: The administrative office and the four district offices around the county will be closed. There will be no change in jail visitation hours. ur