Oak Hills Park plan hits snags
Worker, parts shortages delay golf course restaurant opening
NORWALK — Refrigerator parts on back order and a lack of workers led to the Oak Hills Park restaurant’s three-month opening delay, according to its operator.
The restaurant, named Dry Dock Smoking Acres, was initially set to open the first week of June, which then became July 1, July 15, Aug. 1 and finally the end August.
A soft opening is tentatively set for this weekend, with sights on a full opening in the following week, Oak Hills Park Golf Course General Manager and restaurant operator Don Mastronardi said.
Over the last three months, the main holdups to opening were a lack of workers to help conduct the renovations and necessary walk-in refrigerator parts on back order for multiple months, he said. Additionally, the restaurant is waiting on the finalization of the certificate of occupancy permit from the city health department.
“It’s just construction delays with equipment and getting materials because of COVID, and the supply chains were all messed up,” Mastronardi said. “We had trouble finding actual workers because of the additional unemployment (benefits).”
Mastronardi said he believes when the Pandem
ic Unemployment Assistance funds expire on Sept. 4, the restaurant will be able to find more workers to staff the restaurant and complete any final changes.
Despite the delay, Mastronardi said he is not concerned about the club or restaurant suffering from the loss of any summertime revenue.
“I don’t think its going to hurt us because we set up the restaurant as a multifunctional space,” Mastronardi said. “Events are planned, and missing summer obviously wasn’t ideal, but in the long run it’ll set us up to succeed and make sure everything is right when we open and going into fall.”
Prior to his work in the restaurant business, Mastronardi, who also operates Dry Dock Bar & Grille on Main Street and the Silvermine Golf Club’s restaurant, worked in the corporate and finance world.
Earlier this year, Mastronardi received an additional $30,000 from the city to fund the refurbishments and bring the building up to code.
With about $25,000 remaining from the $75,000 allotted to the park authority in fiscal year 2020-21, the authority wound up exceeding the budget by $30,000 to complete the renovations, despite the golf course bringing in about $130,000 in annual passes this year.
Even with the delays, however, Mastronardi said he does not anticipate the restaurant will be over budget in renovations.
“We are going to be, if anything, under budget,” he said. “The only thing that might push us closer to where we didn’t want to go ... some of the equipment costs, labor costs and fixing equipment, because we had lot of issues with equipment in the kitchen that caused a lot of delays as well.”
Once the restaurant does open, Mastronardi said he is optimistic the public will like the results of the renovation.
“At end of day we feel good about the product and we are going be happy with the product we are putting out,” Mastronardi added.
Last week, the city’s Finance Committee discussed the fiveyear contract with Mastronardi during executive session, city spokesperson Josh Morgan said.
While Mastronardi was unaware of the changes discussed, Morgan said no one is on trouble.
“There is no lawsuit,” Morgan said. “The Finance Committee was discussing legal matters related to the contract.”
The Common Council will vote on the contract changes at its next meeting.