ANNA MARIA – The Anna Maria Island Garden Club hosted its annual luncheon and fashion show at The Center of Anna Maria Island on Feb. 26. Attended by nearly 300 people, this year’s theme was “Flower Power.”
The soirée began with drinks, appetizers and pop-up shopping opportunities. Attendees enjoyed a buffet luncheon prepared by Harry’s Continental Kitchens before the main event began – the annual fashion show that featured approximately 40 local citizens modeling fashions offered for sale by participating Island area retailers.
Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short modeled this beachy ensemble. – Pat Short | Submitted
Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short modeled a day at the beach outfit that included pink shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses from AMI Outfitters and a carry-along cooler. “I thought the fashion show was fabulous,” Short said. “The garden club did a magnificent job putting it on. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I think my wife (Pat) may have bought what I modeled.”
Garden Club member and City Commissioner Kathy Morgan-Johnson said, “I thought it was a big success. We had almost 300 people there. Felcia Goett, from Blooms by the Beach, helped with the decorations, along with the Garden Club members, and everyone had a great time.”
AMI Garden Club member Jana Samuels modeled for Island Cabana. - Pat Short | Submitted
Nearly 300 people attended the fashion show and luncheon. - Janet Riley | Submitted
Attendees enjoyed lunch catered by Harry’s Continental Kitchens. - Jane Riley | Submitted
The Center’s Morgan Blackburn modeled for Island Cabana. - Pat Short | Submitted
Doctor’s Office employee Emily Mulling modeled for Vintage Beach. - Pat Short | Submitted
UPDATED Aug. 22, 2020 – ANNA MARIA – Four local entrepreneurs interested in operating a grill and bait shop on the new City Pier have submitted bid proposals to the city of Anna Maria.
The bid proposals received are in response to the request for proposals (RFP) the city recently issued seeking a tenant to lease the 300-square-foot bait shop building at the T-end of the new pier.
The city seeks a tenant who will operate a takeout grill that offers a limited menu throughout the day in addition to selling bait and possibly offering additional fishing supplies.
The bidders hope to lease the city-owned bait shop building on the Anna Maria City Pier. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The deadline to submit a proposal was 1 p.m. on Friday. A few minutes after that deadline passed, Mayor Dan Murphy opened the four bid proposals and announced who submitted them.
The four bidders are F.P. Growth Partners; Brian Seymour, Vic Mattay and Nicholas Graham; Sarah Baldwin/Tevatan LLC and Harry’s Continental Kitchens.
Kim Nemeth, Brian Seymour and Patrick Coleman attended Friday’s bid opening, with Public Works Manager Dean Jones also present. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Patrick Coleman represented F.P. Growth Partners at the public bid opening held at city hall in the city commission chambers. F.P. Growth Partners’ business operations include the Poppo’s Taquerias on Pine Avenue in Anna Maria and on Manatee Avenue in Bradenton.
Seymour is the owner/operator of the Anna Maria General Store and Deli on Pine Avenue that leases space to Mattay and his Dips Ice Cream shop. Graham is the co-owner and operator of Graham Slam fishing charters in Cortez.
Anna Maria resident Kim Nemeth represented Tevatan LLC. Nemeth is the manager of Paradise Boat Tours and Bridge Street Bait Shop at the foot of the Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach.
Tevatan LLC is led by CEO Sarah Baldwin and her father, Sherman Baldwin, who serves as the LLC’s general manager. Tevatan also operates Hart’s Landing in Sarasota in space leased from that city.
Harry’s Continental Kitchens is located in Longboat Key and was not represented at Friday’s bid opening.
Waterfront Restaurant & Craft Bar owner Jason Suzor and Star Fish Co. restaurant owner Karen Bell participated in the recent pre-bid meeting but neither submitted a bid proposal.
Murphy said he will now review the four bid proposals that will also be provided to city commissioners. The proposals will not be made public until placed on an agenda for a future city commission meeting or a special city commission meeting to be held within the next 30 days.
When the bid proposals are presented for commission discussion at a public meeting, each commissioner will individually rank the bidders and their proposals according to their personal preferences. One point will be awarded for a commissioner’s first choice, two points will be awarded for a commissioner’s second choice and so on. The bidder and proposal with the lowest combined score will then be given the opportunity to attempt to negotiate a lease contract with Murphy and the city.
According to the RFP, the city reserves the right to discard any or all bids.
During Friday’s bid opening, Murphy said he hopes to have the grill and bait shop open by the first of the year at the latest, and much sooner than that if all goes well.
While seeking a tenant for the bait shop building to the left, the city currently has no plans for the larger building to the right. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The city currently has no plans to resume its search for another pier tenant to operate a full-service restaurant in the larger of the two city-owned buildings at the T-end of the new City Pier. At this time, the future use of the larger pier building has not been determined.
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