Beach Club Grille on Seacoast Sold to New Owner

As work continues on the hotel to replace the Seacoast Inn, on the other side of John Haupt, owner of , has sold his restaurant and decided to retire.

Haupt bought the property in 2000 and became its manager a few years ago.

Since then Haupt invited local artists to perform at regular open mic and karaoke events in the evening. Last year the restaurant’s second-story Woodies Cantina was remodeled and a roof was added so it can stay open year round.

Though he enjoyed running the restaurant, he said it left “no time for boats, houses or Mexico. I could remain the most over qualified and underpaid dishwasher in IB or I could spend my time enjoying what I like to do best,” he said in an email to IB Patch.

Haupt said he has spent most of his life as a boat captain or working in professional audio, and never saw himself as a restaurant owner, so he sees selling the Beach Club Grille as an “opportunity to start living again.”

“It’s a tough deal to own a restaurant in IB. It’s a survival mode,” Haupt said. “There’s a turnover in the spring of businesses that couldn’t make it through the winter for next summer.”

He could have made it through this winter, but continuing to run the restaurant another few years “probably would have killed me.”

Haupt said he is proud of finishing remodeling projects and adding open mic night for local performers. Alex Dupoe and Miguel De Hoyos helped bring regular musical performances to the restaurant with their masterful performances, Haupt said, while Eric Leal and country singer Stewart also had impressive shows at the Beach Club Grille.

Two old woodie cars Haupt owned and often had on-display outside are to be sold. One is already gone to a buyer in Kansas, he said.

“It’s a bittersweet experience. I’m glad to have my life back, but on the other hand I’ll miss the socializing and interactions with customers.”

Haupt was also an executive member of the , part of the Business Improvement District, ran the building’s HOA and picked out the Christmas tree on-display in Pier Plaza every year.

He said he feels he brought the restaurant to the next level and is happy to "pass the baton" to a new owner to bring it to "the next level after that."


NEW BLOOD

William Awad, 28, said he was born in Israel and moved to the U.S. when he was a teenager. He speaks English, Hebrew and Arabic and was raised in Nazareth.

He worked in chain restaurants in Cincinnati, starting with an entry-level position and eventually becoming a manager.

When he moved to Los Angeles Awad said being a cop was his dream.

“I finished the academy and everything. I was actually disqualified last May due to some color vision tests. I was only able to pass four out of seven questions so I’m partially color blind when green and red are combined together,” he said. “Lately I’ve been thinking about it and nothing is like owning your own business. I mean you really can’t go wrong doing that.”

As part of a remodel planned to begin in March, tile floors will installed downstairs, along with new lighting fixtures and furniture and a fresh coat of paint. Upstairs hardwood floor will be installed to match the new roof and more San Diego microbrewery selections will be on tap.

“Honestly, knowing the hotel was going to be opened really pumped us up to buying this place quickly. I mean we want to be ready for summer,” he said.

William’s uncle, Nick Awad, has owned fast-food businesses in Los Angeles and will be a partner in running the restaurant. He purchased the property, which includes Woodies Cantina upstairs and a bungalow outside where Misty Dawn’s Salon operates, for $700,000.

William said the restaurant’s name may change but the types of food served will stay the same, with the possible addition of more barbecue but fewer overall menu items.

“We’ll try to minimize the menu a bit so instead of reading six pages they can go through a page or two,” he said.

The stage in the corner of the Beach Club Grille will be removed and weekly open mic performances will no longer be held.