Seal Beach will extend the deadline for restaurants to submit proposals for the city’s space at the end of the Seal Beach Pier.
Jim Basham, Director of Community Development, told the Sun Monday, Feb. 25, that the city would extend the deadline another six weeks. The deadline was originally 4:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 22.
Meanwhile, the city has received a proposal for another Ruby’s restaurant on the pier.
Basham said he believed the city had received one or two proposals, one of which might be from Ruby’s restaurants.
Basham previously told the Sun that Seal Beach would want at least five proposals for using the city-owned space at the end of the pier. He said Seal Beach would extend the deadline if the city did not receive enough submissions.
Art Haack, former manager of the Seal Beach Ruby’s (which closed on Jan. 6), said he turned in a proposal to the city on Friday. Haack has said in the past that he was given the Seal Beach Ruby’s as a franchise.
Basham said he had not reviewed the proposals the city had received, as he was preparing for the Monday night, Feb. 25 City Council meeting.
The city’s request for proposals specifically called for a family-friendly restaurant. The proposal also required an unspecified community service project with a budget for the project to be included with a proposal for the restaurant space.
“It is unclear how the city can measure the community engagement, nor does the RFP enlighten the reader other than to require a budget for said purpose,” said Seth Eaker in a recent interview. Eaker owns Black Marble Consulting, a business plan preparation service.
Basham said “community service” could include giving back to schools, perhaps sponsoring the 5K/10K run or participating in the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce.
“These are just ideas,” Basham said. “Who knows, they may have their own ideas.”
Seal Beach Ruby’s cancelled the 10-year lease when talks about renewing the lease apparently broke down. Ruby’s Diner left its location at the end of the Seal Beach Pier on Thursday, Jan. 10.
Seal Beach sent Ruby’s Restaurant Group a “notice of breach” letter on Jan. 4, accusing the chain of violating an agreement to make $400,000 in improvements to the site.
In mid-January, Tad Belshe, a spokesman for Ruby’s corporate, said the chain did not breach the lease, and had made the required improvements to the site. Belshe also said that the chain was working on a proposal to put Ruby’s back on the pier.
In the Jan. 4 letter, Seal Beach demanded payment of $400,000 from Ruby’s corporate by Jan. 24.
At last report, Ruby’s had not sent the city the demanded payment.
The RFP that was available to the public did not mention any requirements for improvements to the site.
Basham recently told the Sun that the issue of improvements would come into play during contract negotiations for leasing the space at the end of the pier.
