Vancouver’s iconic Beaches Restaurant & Bar hopes to raise $300,000 for charity before the doors close for good.
Beaches owner Mark Matthias and his wife, Ali Novinger, announced in February they plan to retire, and the restaurant will serve its last meal Dec. 31.
Matthias said they asked themselves, “How do we want to end the 30 years?”
“It just made sense to tie it into our charity work,” he said.
Beaches will host a silent auction where community members can bid on some of the restaurant’s most iconic decor, including the famous oversized deck chair in front of the restaurant and a decorative crab signed by Phil Hanes, an American businessman and conservationist. People have already begun bidding on the decor items, and one piece has sold for $5,000.
The auction will end at 9 p.m. Dec. 22.
On the last three days of business — Dec. 29, 30 and 31 — the restaurant will host a series of private charity dinners. Beaches has already sold 140 plates at $1,000 each for the dinner on New Year’s Eve.
There are still open seats available for the private dinners on Dec. 29 and 30, Novinger said.
Plates for dinner on Dec. 29 are $500 per person, and plates for Dec. 30 are $750 per person. Those interested can come to the restaurant or call 360-699-1592 to purchase their seats, Novinger said.
“They’ll be the last guests that get to dine in. It’s a special five-course dinner we’re going to do, and we’re just going to make it a really fun, special night,” Novinger said. “I think the biggest thing is that we tell our guests that they are a guest in our house, and we’re going to treat them as such.”
The last day of normal restaurant operation is Dec. 28.
All of the money Beaches raises from the silent auction and the private charity dinners will go to 20 local nonprofits. Between the various fundraisers, the goal is to raise $300,000 for charity, Matthias said.
“It goes everywhere, from education to abuse and homelessness to foster care — you name it,” Matthias said
Legacy
Beaches first opened on the Vancouver waterfront in June 1995. Since then, it has become a staple in the community for its customer service, community engagement and charitable giving.
Beaches has raised almost $4 million for local nonprofits since it opened. Each year, Beaches hosts Bites & Books (formerly Green Eggs and Ham) for local first-graders as a part of Read Across America week.
The restaurant also hosts a holiday meal program, along with the annual Summer Social and Cruisin’.
Beaches’ 80 employees will stay on until the last day. They’ll be given bonuses, as well as help finding new jobs, Matthias said, adding that they are a key reason the restaurant is such a beloved spot in the community.
“They’re just good people that we’ve had over the years. They care about the guests, they react to the guests and they try to make it fun,” Matthias said. “From there, it just kind of morphed into charity work, which started early on. We never anticipated it would get as big as it did, but that just felt like the right thing to do, and so it just turned into this community-based restaurant. It’s just been a really fun ride.”
Novinger echoed her husband’s sentiment.
“Probably the hardest part will just be not having that hub where you come in and see your team,” Novinger said with tears in her eyes. “It’s already emotional every day. The guests are in tears. We’re in tears. So it’ll be challenging, but it’s also just time to be able to experience life a little bit.”
Matthias and Novinger said they look forward to traveling after the restaurant closes, but they’re going to keep in touch with their employees and stay involved with the Vancouver community.
Oswego Grill, a steakhouse and seafood restaurant that started in Lake Oswego, Ore., will take over the building.
“This is not just a restaurant, it’s a place where we share experiences with the guests, and they’re part of that journey,” Novinger said. “So I think that’s why it’s so special to everyone, as they’ve been a witness and a participant in all of those things.”
