Anthony Romeo of Boca Raton stretches out in a folding beach chair at Boca Raton’s South Beach.
He brings his own chair and is content with that.
Sallie James/The Coastal Star
By Sallie James
When Boca Raton resident Elle Tate takes her two young daughters to the beach, she travels light because she has to lug all the gear across the hot sand.
So when Tate learned that a concessionaire will soon be renting beach furniture and selling drinks and snacks at the beach, she was all smiles.
“Good idea! Very good idea,” said Tate, as Emma, 8, and Emily, 3, splashed in the surf at South Beach Park. “It will be a big help. We’ve only been here an hour and they are already asking for something.”
A business owner who lives two miles from the beach, Tate has limited capacity for beach gear because she drives a tiny sports car. Beach rentals will be a lifesaver, she said.
Starting Oct. 1, Oceanside Beach Service will be renting beach furniture and selling water and snacks at South Beach Park, Red Reef Park and Spanish River Park.
City Council members unanimously approved the concession with Oceanside Beach Service in early August.
It’s a service residents had been seeking for years, said Boca Raton Deputy Mayor Constance Scott.
“This has been a long time coming,” Scott said after voting “yes” for the concession. “We are delighted. We can hardly wait. I am certain those umbrellas and lounge chairs are going to be full as soon as they are available.”
Under the one-year agreement, Oceanside Beach Service will pay the city $54,000 for the rights to rent beach furniture and sell snacks and drinks at Boca’s three beaches. The city has an option to renew the contract for three subsequent years. The city is also entitled to revenue sharing if Oceanside’s profits exceed $350,000, according to the contract.
For beachgoers, beach furniture rentals, snacks and water will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at all three beaches.
So if you’re planning a beach day and don’t feel like packing a lot of gear, you don’t have to. Just bring your wallet. You will have to pay.
“It makes it more of a family-friendly environment,” said Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie. “It will be a lot more fun.”
Boca Raton resident Raffaele Pindo wasn’t enthused. A resident since 1982, Pindo comes to South Beach Park every weekend and loves the beauty of the empty stretches of sand. He doesn’t think anything more is necessary.
“I bring a towel. What else do you want to bring?” Pindo asked. “You don’t want to bring your wallet and credit card.”
Boca Raton resident Anthony Romeo liked the idea of being able to buy water, but said he probably wouldn’t rent any beach furniture. He brings his own folding beach chair and is content with that.
He’s also not eager to see wooden beach chairs, cabanas and umbrellas lined up along the sand. “If they start putting rental umbrellas here, the place is going to be too tacky,” Romeo said.
When the concession opens, beachgoers will be able to rent an array of chaise lounges, double lounges, cabanas and umbrellas, as well as snorkel gear, boogie boards and paddle boards. Bottled water will be available for $2 and assorted chips, $1.
Annual and monthly memberships will also be offered. Annual passes for unlimited use of the beach equipment will cost $500 and 30-day passes, $450. The contract also requires the concessionaire to be mindful of nesting turtles, so the nests are not disturbed. Sea turtle nesting season is between March 1 and Oct. 1, annually.
“They will have to make sure the (beach equipment) is not an impediment to our turtles,” Haynie said.
Rental rates
Lounges: $10 per hour/ $40 per day
Umbrellas: $7 per hour/ $20 per day
Arm chairs with foot rest: $10 per hour/$40 per day
Snorkel gear: $15 per hour/$40 per day
Boogie boards: $5 per hour/$15 per day
Paddle boards: $20 per hour/$60 per day
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