Brewery hopes regatta goers will drink local, as committee seeks beer tent operator

A local brewery hopes regatta-goers will enjoy cold sips from craft breweries across the island this summer. 

There could be an opportunity now that the Royal St. John's Regatta committee is looking for someone to take over the beer tent, though it's disappointed the St. John's East Kinsmen Club won't berunning it on Aug. 7.

Kinsmen members voted unanimously to stop operating the tent, which they had been running for 37 years, citing the "arrogance" of the regatta committee as the main reason for their decision.

Now, the committee is putting out a request for proposals from anyone interested in operating the beer tent for the 201st regatta on Quidi Vidi Lake.

We will not be doing it. To take on that task would be monumental.- Chris Neary

"We negotiated in complete good faith and we're more than open to listening to why our proposal wasn't going to work, and really the only response we got from our original offer was their resignation letter," said president Chris Neary.

"All we can do from there is accept that, be disappointed that that occurred, and really try to go forward and see what we can do to ensure everyone enjoys their day on Regatta Day."

Following a meeting Wednesday night, called after the May 21 resignation letter from the Kinsmen, the committee released a brief note outlining the opening of requests for proposals from groups interested in operating the beer garden.

Local event, local beer?

Justin Fong of Quidi Vidi Brewery said the company will apply and — if successful — donate proceeds to the regatta. It would also donate earnings to other local not-for-profit organizations, as the Kinsmen did. 

"We've been a part of the Quidi Vidi community since 1995, and I've been looking at the regatta for the last couple of years and speaking to some of the committee members," Fong said Thursday. 

He said they'd like to set up more of a beer garden than a beer tent, similar to what the brewery did at the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival last summer, and sees it as a great opportunity to promote local craft beers. 

"So we'd add a bunch of nice seating, have some pallet couches where you could sit out and look at the races, and offer a selection of beer from across Newfoundland," said Fong. 

John Connolly, the chair of the Kinsmen group, told CBC earlier this week the regatta committee had disrespected his group, and were now looking to get the organization's invoices as a way to take over the beer tent.

"We will not be doing it," Neary said, adding that the committee's volunteers already have extremely long hours on Regatta Day.

"To take on that task would be monumental, so we're gonna partner with another community organization."

Neary said the committee isn't opposed to the Kinsmen signing back on, and is focused on ensuring "a beer tent is available."

"Hopefully we get some very exciting proposals going forward, and if we're lucky, one of those might be the Kinsmen," Neary told CBC's St. John's Morning Show.

'Huge expense'

The Kinsmen weren't the only group with concerns about the cost of operating a tent at Quidi Vidi Lake.

Tom Badcock, director of the Hub — an organization for people with physical disabilities — told CBC on Wednesday his group hasn't been able to afford a booth at the regatta for 10 years.

Both Connolly and Badcock voiced concerns about the high cost of operating a tent at the lakeside, with Connolly saying his organization might barely break even on beer sales — and then only if the weather was good.

But Neary said it costs a lot of money to operate the regatta, and the committee itself is run by volunteers as a not-for-profit group.

"We have an operating budget of about $300,000, and $40,000 of that is just Regatta Day alone. Just crew registration alone only covers our heat and light for our building and our insurance," Neary said.

"A set of oars for our boats cost $6,000, so a lot of people don't realize the huge expense for our equipment alone. Upkeep of our building, maintaining our shells, all those things."

The committee, Neary said, only implements increases when absolutely necessary, adding "every dollar we spend is scrutinized" and its books are audited by a third party. 

"We just want to make sure that everything we do is done on the level and make sure that we're looking at every dollar."

The request for proposals is, as of Thursday, light on specifics, and no deadline has been set, but Neary said it's still very early in the process and he expects it go out within the next couple of weeks.

But, Neary said, charitable groups submitting proposals would get a more serious look than a private application.

"I would suggest that would be strongly considered over and above just a regular organization coming in for profit."

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