Town Seeks Concessions Vendor For Beaches, Park

Westport is trying to lock down who feeds people at its biggest summer properties — and it’s doing it on a tight clock. The town has a proposed deal with NG Entertainment LLC, the company tied to local restaurateur Nikki Glekas, to run concessions at Compo Beach, Longshore Pavilion, and the Halfway House at Longshore Golf Course. The immediate stakes are pretty simple: food, drinks, beach service, and whether those spaces are ready by Memorial Day weekend. But underneath that is a bigger town-government story about how Westport replaces a vendor when a long lease blows up midstream. ### Why is Westport doing this now? Because the old arrangement ended early. In January, the Board of Selectmen approved a settlement with Hook’d on the Sound LLC that terminated the prior concession lease covering the same three facilities. That lease had originally run from 2020, with options that could have carried it much longer, but the town and the operator hit an impasse over extension terms. The settlement cleared the way for a fresh solicitation and a new operator search. (westportct.gov) ### What exactly is in play? This is not just one snack bar. The proposed lease covers the kitchen, prep, and service areas at the Compo Beach Pavilion, the Halfway House at Longshore Golf Course, and the Longshore Pavilion at Longshore Club Park. Those are three different kinds of summer traffic in one package — beachgoers, pool users, golfers, and families moving through the park system. That’s why the choice matters more than a normal concession stand contract. (play.champds.com) ### Who did the town pick? Town staff and the review committee picked NG Entertainment LLC after a public RFP, proposal review, site visits, interviews, and lease negotiations. Erik Barbieri, Westport’s parks and recreation director, said the town reviewed two serious proposals and chose Glekas’s group based on concession experience, ability to handle high customer volume, and the overall presentation. A third potential operator attended the walkthrough but did not submit a bid. (play.champds.com) ### Why Nikki Glekas? Basically, the town wanted someone who could do both scale and quality. Glekas runs a local group of restaurants, concessions, and catering businesses, and her pitch was not just burgers and fries — though those are still part of it. She told officials she wants a more Mediterranean, beach-oriented menu at Compo, with staples for kids and fuller dinner options for adults, including salads, grilled fish, lobster rolls, gyros, and souvlaki. That matters because these spaces are expected to serve both quick daytime traffic and longer evening hangouts. (westportct.gov) ### Has anything been approved yet? Yes — the first big step already happened. On May 11, the Board of Finance unanimously approved the proposed four-year lease, with a few tweaks. Members clarified that golf-cart refreshment delivery would apply at Longshore Golf Course, removed language restricting pinball machines, and allowed catering signage. The deal still has to move through Planning and Zoning and then the Board of Selectmen, which is the body that approves town contracts. (westportjournal.com) ### Why all the public meetings? Because Westport treats this as a lease of town property, not just a simple vendor purchase. Under the town’s charter, different elected bodies review different parts of the deal. The Board of Finance weighs the lease, Planning and Zoning looks at planning consistency, and the Board of Selectmen handles final contract approval. The town posted this review schedule publicly and invited residents to send comments before the remaining meetings. (westportjournal.com) ### What’s the real pressure point? Timing. Westport said outright that it is reviewing the agreement ahead of Memorial Day weekend and the 2026 summer season. So this is less about a distant policy choice and more about whether the town can get a new operator in place fast enough for the busiest stretch of the year. If approvals slip, the practical problem is obvious — prime beach and park facilities open without the food service people expect. (westportct.gov) ### Bottom line? Westport is not just seeking a vendor anymore — it’s deep into approving one. The town’s likely new concessionaire is NG Entertainment, the first approval is already in hand, and the remaining votes will decide whether Compo and Longshore head into summer with a reset that feels seamless to visitors. (westportct.gov)