The Boardwalk Pub could dominate refreshment sales along Toronto’s eastern beaches
As any visitor to Woodbine Beach knows, there is only one spot nearby to grab a bite: the Boardwalk Pub. If city council approves a new proposal, reports the Globe, the refreshment monopoly will remain in place until 2028—and the owners will pay $50,000 less in yearly rent.
The Boardwalk Pub, which opened in 1986, landed its sweet deal in the mid-2000s when owner George Foulidis asked the city about extending the lease beyond 2007. The council rejected competitive bids, with Beaches–East York councillor Sandra Bussin going to bat for the pub, saying that its existence prevented fast-food chains from opening in the area.
Since the lease expired three years ago, a draft agreement was created and will go to council this week. If it’s approved, it will let Foulidis’s family-owned company, Tuggs Inc., sell merchandise and booze at Ashbridges Bay Park, as well as pay $1 million less in rent over the extended 21-year deal. Locals contest that Tuggs’ exclusive rights mean Foulidis has the power to stop community events from happening in the area and accuse Foulidis of doing just that in the past.
But this isn’t just a local story of bureaucracy potentially screwing over a neighbourhood. According to a 2007 article from the Post, Foulidis’s friends and family members made a combined $8,250 financial contribution to Bussin’s 2006 municipal election campaign (almost none of the contributors lived in her ward). This was shortly before the Boardwalk Pub’s lease was extended in January 2007, even though Foulidis didn’t provide council with any financial information. In the 2003 election, Foulidis’s business partner, wife, cousin and other associates also made a combined contribution of $4,000 to Bussin. We also found an on-line petition to oust Bussin on the grounds that the Boardwalk Pub deal is not on the up and up.
The battle lines are now clearly drawn. Despite another questionable incident involving Bussin—calling John Tory’s radio show and blasting him without identifying herself—the mayor wrote a letter last week endorsing her re-election. Ever the anti-Miller, Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong says the Boardwalk Pub deal “stinks to high heaven” and is fighting against its passage.
• Politicos back Tuggs’ lease [Toronto Star]
• City poised to extend food, drink monopoly for eastern beaches [Globe and Mail]
The deal clearly is not to prevent chains from coming in. The boardwalk pub has a Pizza Pizza window. Last time I checked that was a chain. This deal prevents local businesses from selling food at events. Tuggs has a monopoly and the local family run restaurants cannot compete during popular summer events such as the Jazz festival.
Every time this contract is renewed it is a 20 year lease. That is ridiculous. This is a monopoly and it stinks of Bussin type bureaucracy. The Boardwalk pub has horrible food/service. Some local competition would be nice.
What a travesty that this is allowed to happen.
The current place is filthy and the two outlets at the pool and kew beach are appalling. Staff is rude, places are dirty. Rock bottom.
I have no issue with a chain being there. Bring in a starbucks and clean up these dumps. Bring in a chain and give them some competition.
These decisions are so typical of Sandra B and the team of leftist kooks who run the council
What can we do to help stop it?
I agree with Bob Loblaw. As a long time resident of the beach these 3 outlets have always been dumps. Long term lease and a monopoly! Who needs to make an effort! Who needs to pay $5 for a popsicle from a sour puss! As with so many other retail outlets in our neighbourhood people including the councillor would rather have the status quo than be progressive and have some good change! Let’s not confuse the two issues here! After awhile the beautiful waterfront just does not make up for the dusty retail! Don’t get me started! Why not put out an RFP for each individual location and give some local businesses the chance to bid. Lumping all three together eliminates the small guy due to operating costs required. Someone could make a fortune selling coffee at the Balmy Beach location. All those purple park parents would be thrilled!
I hope everyone remembers all of this come election time. Let’s try and elect a councillor that has some sincerity.
I met with Bruce Baker who led the fight on this. He told me they rammed it through at council last night vote 15 -12.
This is scandalous!
Wow – it is unbelievable that City Council voted to give one person a monopoly of all the concessions and a veto on all the events on the Eastern Beach parkland.
Not only is the guy not paying market rates for the amount of traffic the concessions are exposed to …. but with his reputation for overpriced food and lack of service one could only wonder what motivated each of the councilors that voted for this golden handshake.
Is it really true that Bussins and Miller closed the item for discussion …and then when 17 city councilors went home for the evening …they called their friends and rammed it through on a vote of 15 to 12.
Shame on City Council …shame on all 45 members of Council. Did they not learn anything from the computer fiasco … no accountability; no financial accountability; no community input and more importantly no open tender ….shame.
This is not democracy – this is not the transparency that Miller promised. I guess he forgot that his beloved broom was to sweep the corruption out of city hall —-not sweep in under the carpet so the public doesn’t see it.
How many other golden handshakes and monopolies is the Miller regime going to ram through before their reign is over?
You would think that Francis Nunziata who blew the whistle on Councilors in the old City of York who tried to sell off parkland would have questioned this “deal” as well…after all it is giving a monopoly of a Toronto park to one individual for 20 years. How does that differ from what occurred in the City of York?
Thank goodness this is election year – maybe it is time for a real change….not just rearranging the deck chairs.
Have any of the city councillors who voted for this lease ever been to this pub? It is unconscionable that this was approved. It’s in a beautiful setting on the lake, and there is the divey-looking pub with a Pizza Pizza sign on it – not to mention the other grubby locations on the boardwalk. It’s so sad and disheartening. Toronto’s lakeshore has so few accessible waterside eating establishments – this could have been an amazing one. There are so many inexpensive, delicious options.