The concession stand at the town marina may soon have a new operator. At the Town Council meeting on March 6, the council unanimously voted to offer a lease agreement. According to town officials, the tenant could not be revealed at press time until both parties have signed the agreement.

Following an executive session at the March 6 meeting the Town Council announced that a lease would be offered to a potential operator. Town Council chairperson Carrie Allen said that there was only one bidder when the stand was put out to bid earlier this year. Allen said the exact lease terms are still being discussed.

For the last three summers, the stand was known as Liv’s Dockside Grill; however, in September 2023, then-Town Manager Karl Kilduff informed the council that the stand operator, JR Restaurant Group, opted not to renew its release. Robert Marcarelli, director of operations for the business, said the group wanted to focus on its established businesses, Liv’s Oyster Bar and Liv’s Shack, rather than the stand.

In April 2021, the town approved JR Restaurant Group for a three-year lease with an extra two years as an option. Per the agreement, rent paid in the first year of the lease was $1,500 per month, which then increased in years two and three of the lease to $2,000 per month.

The terms for the new lease will likely be substantially different. Last fall, Kilduff told the council members that the town may need to adjust the realistic expectations for the stand. Rather than trying to make a serious profit there, the council members agreed that it might be a better philosophy to view the stand as a service that can attract people to the waterfront area.

Council member Dennis Donovan said at the time that the marina area in general is “a gem” and said part of maintaining that area was making sure the concession stand was operating smoothly.

Finding an operator for the concession stand is something that’s turned into a bit of a hassle for the town over the last five years.

Prior to JR Restaurant Group running the stand, it was called the Clinton Harbor Grill and was operated by Evan Johnson. However, Johnson asked out of his lease in 2021 due to uncertainty in the food service industry following the COVID-19 pandemic.

From 2009-’19, the stand was known as Sal D’s, and it was operated by the Voss family. However, that era came to an end in 2019 when the family chose not to participate in a new town bid process that could have returned it for an 11th season.

That year, the town’s Board of Selectmen and then-First Selectman Christine Goupil opted to substantially increase the stand’s rent to make the town money. The rent rose from the $200 per month that the Voss family had paid to $2,000 per month.