New look, name for Cavendish restaurant
Razzy’s Beach House opens in June in old Sandbox Pub and Eatery location
A popular pub and eatery in Cavendish is getting a new look, a new name and a new menu.
The co- owners of Razzy’s Roadhouse in Charlottetown purchased the Sandbox Pub and Eatery one year ago but decided to hold off on making any changes until now.
The Cavendish restaurant will open for the season on June 20 ( it will also be open during the first two weekends in June) as Razzy’s Beach House.
Owners Glenn Gaudet and Brian Carragher have been busy lately giving the pub a new look.
“We operated as the Sandbox last year because we really didn’t take it over until the end of May so we had no time to do anything,’’ Gaudet says. “This year, we’ve remodeled and reimaged the whole place and we’re changing the name..’’
Gaudet and Carragher took over Razzy’s in Charlottetown 10 years ago with little to no experience in running a restaurant. Razzy’s has been in business approximately 23 years.
“The last thing in the world we were looking for was to run a restaurant because neither one of us knew anything about the restaurant business to be honest ( but) we got into it.’’
It worked out and they’ve been looking for other opportunities ever since. The opportunity in Cavendish came out of nowhere.
“It popped up around mid- February ( last year). I knew the previous owners. It kind of started out as a conversation more than anything. It just kind of popped up out of the blue. We looked at it and looked a little further.’’
They brought an accountant in to crunch the numbers and started the ball rolling.
Razzy’s Beach House will feature a family- oriented, pub- type atmosphere with a bit more emphasis on seafood. They also plan to pay close attention to kids.
“Last year we did over 4,100 kids meals sold. It kind of shocked us so when we redid the menu we knew we had to do something for the kids so we did up a separate menu. It’s a colouring page they get to take home with them.’’
Gone is the sandbox from the old restaurant.
Gaudet said business in their first year in Cavendish was outstanding and traffic at Razzy’s in Charlottetown is up 20 per cent so far this year.
“Out here ( in Cavendish) every day is a weekend. Very busy. Every day out here is a Friday,’’ he said, noting that business during the Cavendish Beach Music Festival was even better, with people lined up outside the door 15 minutes prior to opening.
Razzy’s Beach House will operate with a staff close to 30 employees, on top of the 20 or so who work in Charlottetown.
Expanding into Cavendish is smart business, Gaudet says, because traffic at the Charlottetown location tends to slow down about the time tourists start flocking to P. E. I.’ s northern resort municipality.
Even for two guys who didn’t know what they were doing a decade ago, the recipe for success seemed rather simple.
“We walked into it blind but it’s all about people. People buy from people. You treat people right and do what’s right and give people a good experience. It’s not rocket science.’’