AMSTERDAM, NY – Instead of operating the municipal golf course’s food and bar services directly, the city may take another route and look for a concessionaire to handle the job. A resolution authorizing the city to issue a request for proposals to operate food and beverage services at the course is on the agenda for this Tuesday’s meeting.
The plan last year was for the City of Amsterdam staff to operate the municipal golf course club house restaurant and bar facilities. The lease contract for the previous concessionaire had expired, and city officials were looking at food and alcohol sales revenue to help close the growing deficit in the golf course fund.
Water damage caused by frozen pipes last winter kept the clubhouse closed for the entire season. The course made due with a large tent as a substitute for the clubhouse. Later in the season an unused cart shed was converted into a pavilion, suitable for hosting small parties.
According to Mayor Michael Cinquanti, the city has not yet negotiated a final settlement with it’s insurance carrier for the damage to the clubhouse. However, the city has received a smaller payout, which he says can be used to add a bar, grill, heating, and air conditioning to the pavilion for a concessionaire to use.
“I don’t think a city should be running a restaurant,” said Cinquanti. There’s a lot of issues involved with operating a bar and hiring employees that make it too complicated.”
In order to make up the revenue that would have come from food and drink sales in the coming season, Cinquanti said, “What we are going to do is try to boost play enough at the course to generate the revenue we need to make the course a winning proposition.”
“The course is in the best shape it’s been in in a long time. We’ve got a new marketing campaign put together for it,” said Cinquanti. “We’re going to work as hard as we possibly can to get that course to a break-even status.”
