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JANETTE NEUWAHLA concessionaire now roams the coastline, and the same company will rent out beach umbrellas, chairs and cabanas.
CLEARWATER - Beach bums can leave those heavy coolers at home.
Sunbathers can now buy snacks and drinks on Sand Key Beach instead of bringing them.
Pinellas County officials have signed a contract to provide a concession cart that will offer snacks, sodas, snow cones and ice cream to sunbathers and swimmers at the popular park.
Recent rainy weekends have slowed business a bit, but the new concession cart has already begun pacing the coastline of the 95-acre park on some weekdays.
Operators plan to make the cart available to visitors on weekends from August through February and seven days a week from March to July.
"We want to provide the highest quality recreation experience we can in Pinellas County, so we identified an opportunity to do that," said Lyle Fowler, a project coordinator at the Pinellas County Parks and Recreation Department. "We think doing this will satisfy a need out there."
The county signed a contract in mid July with Tampa-based N.L. Streaks Inc. after putting out a request for bids, said Agustin Gonzalez, purchasing operations manager for Pinellas County. The special event food service company also runs the Gasparilla Parade in Tampa every February, said Mark Enoch, owner and operator.
Snacks that will be sold include chips, candy, ice cream and snow cones, which will cost between $1 and $3, Enoch said. The cart will also sell sunscreen, beach balls and flotation toys.
As part of the agreement, Enoch's company will split 15 percent of its profits with the county.
"You have to pay rent anywhere you go, so it's not a problem," Enoch said. "Sand Key is a real nice beach that's kind of a secret, but it's got lots of potential. It looked like a great opportunity."
Besides the roving cart, Enoch said his company will also rent cabanas, umbrellas and beach chairs on Sand Key Beach. Chairs will cost $5, umbrellas $15 and cabanas $20 each, he said. Chair rental areas will be set up on the south end, north end and middle of the beach, Enoch said.
The entrepreneur said he is planning to set up a meal stand on Labor Day weekend, stocking heartier fare like hamburgers and hot dogs.
County officials are excited about the new cart because it will provide convenient source of food for the park's thousands of visitors. In July, the park attracted 113,000 visitors, Fowler said.
"The county could get a real monetary benefit from this, and it also provides an opportunity for small business in Pinellas County," he said.