Plans for constructing Gulf Pier restaurant hit snag
BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News lisa@gulfbreezenews.com

Chris Cadenhead of Sunset Holding told Santa Rosa Island Authorities Wednesday that he's a great pier operator, but doesn't have much experience running restaurants. That's why he's taking the advice of experiences restaurateurs who say giving 10 percent of his gross sales won't work, even though he won the contract based on his asset to the SRIA.

"Now we'll need to reduce the percentage or scale down the project to a snack bar," Cadenhead told the SRIA at the committee meeting Jan. 24.

Now committee members must decide whether 10 percent of gross sales from a snack bar will be more valuable than a lesser percentage from a full scale restaurant.

Cadenhead said the numbers work on the pier because the pier was already constructed. However, he will have to pay to have the restaurant built and "10 percent of gross plus the cost of the building will not work," he said.

Mary Bolman, SRIA's Administration and Leasing Manager, said most restaurants pay 2 percent for food, beer and wine sales, between three and five percent for hard liquor sales and five percent for anything else they sell.

However, Sunset Holdings contracted to pay a minimum of $50,000 per year for the first 10 years.

Cadenhead's contract stipulated building a 48-seat open air restaurant, similar to the one destroyed by Hurricane Opal in 1995, but his firm began planning an upscale dining establishment with upwards of 150 seats.

Due to a shortage of parking on the island, a moratorium was placed on expansions or new construction that would place further demands on parking.

SRIA member Dr. Thomas Campanella said part of the blame for the delay in building the restaurant rests with the Island Authority.

"Parking didn't exist. Many times this was sent back to the table to come back with something feasible," Campanella said.

SRIA staff member Debbie Norton said the Island Authority determined the size of the leasehold, then OKd a larger building but no additional seats because of parking limitations.

This year, a plan to realign Quietwater parking lot identified 100 additional spaces, potentially clearing the way for the expanded restaurant near the pier, as well as an expansion at Hemingways Restaurant.

Now, Cadenhead said his firm will move forward with constructing the restaurant, even if it means building only one story at a time and leaving an open deck on top.

"We've spent a considerable amount of money on architectural drawings," Cadenhead said. "We are going forward with the structure."

The SRIA will discuss this matter further at the Feb. 28 committee meeting.

"At the end of the day, I don't want to put something there that they don't want and is not good for the island," Cadenhead said.