By Jan Norris
The infamous line of diners at John G’s restaurant on Lake Worth Beach may soon become a memory. The 34-year-old restaurant will likely move into Callaro’s Prime Steak and Seafood in Plaza del Mar in Manalapan by mid summer, the owners say.
“We haven’t signed the lease but we’re finalizing the deal now,” said Keith Giragos, son of the restaurant’s late founder, John Giragos and partner now with siblings Jay Giragos and Wendy Yarbrough. “We hope to be open by mid-July – that’s the plan right now.”
All the shops in the casino building must move by May 31 when the City of Lake Worth begins their casino rehabilitation and beach redevelopment projects.
It’s a tough call in many regards, he said. “I’d love to stay here — we have great memories. It’s where we grew up. I love the beach — I really do. We really don’t want to leave,” he said.
The Girogos family has faced the threat of closing numerous times before, with the city planning to refurbish, or rebuild the casino for nearly the last decade. It’s now a reality; the city approved the $11 million casino and beach project last year. They’ve hired the Morganti Group, Inc., to build it.
“The design is completed for the casino and the construction manager is working on the project now,” said Kalthleen Margoles, project manager and assistant to Lake Worth City Manager Susan Stanton. It’s slated to reopen in the summer of 2012.
Demolition is set for mid-June. Tenants have been asked to leave this month so work can get started to prepare for the tear down. A ceremonial public groundbreaking event will be held at 9 a.m. May 7 at the casino for both projects.
Blueprints for the design, based on the original 1922 casino show a two-story building with areas for two restaurants and several retail stores on the ground floor, and a restaurant and ballroom on the second.
The beach plans call for new parking areas, pavilions, trails, restaurants and promenade. With solar panels and windmills for generating energy, it’s planned to be a green project.
Casino leasing will be offered first to the current tenants, Margoles said. At the May 3 meeting, they were hiring a broker to help draw up contracts and set prices. Though leases are “market driven,” she said, the city is looking for fees from $25 to $35 a square foot on long-term leases.
“We hope to have the tenants locked in within six months,” she said. “Of course, we want John G’s to stay. They’ve indicated they want to stay and we hope they’ll stay.”
While there’s a chance they could move back into the new casino building, it’s not financially feasible with the complete build-out that’s needed, Giragos said. “I looked at just kitchen plans, and with hoods, stoves and all the equipment we’d need, it would be $400,000. That’s just the kitchen. Who has that kind of money today to spend on a building you don’t own? I sure don’t. It doesn’t add up.”
He has issues with the overall plan, too. “I really don’t like the new beach plan — the traffic patterns are different, the meters are going to take credit cards or cell phones — that’s dumb. Not everyone likes to pay with cards. I pay cash. It’s going to be a really different atmosphere there.”
The restaurant serving breakfast and lunch set on the corner of the old casino building has been a casual destination for tourists and locals since it opened in 1973. Cinnamon-nut French toast, huge omelets, and fish-and-chips platters are signature dishes that diners stood in line for. There are no reservations — famous actors and mayors have waited in line with everyone else.
Expect the same menu at the new location, Giragos said “We don’t want to change much at all — if anything, make it better.” As dinner service, it’s possible. “We’ll have that option” in the lease, he said.
The move “will be sad,” Yarbrough said. “But I think our customers would follow us.”
Giragos is sure of it. “It’s only two miles down the beach and in a very nice neighborhood — the Ritz across the street is like the Taj-Mahal. And it’s serene. And parking’s free — the diners will love that.”
For more on this and other local restaurant news, check out www.jannorris.com.
Comments