Two celebrity chefs will be serving free ice cream on Marine Drive to celebrate the re-branding of The Hemingway to ‘Oceanside Yacht Club & Public House’ this Sunday.
Prior to being re-opened by the Joseph Richard Group as The Hemingway in 2013, the White Rock waterfront building at 14995 Marine Dr. was known since in the 1950s as the Ocean Beach Hotel.
The new Oceanside Yacht Club will include a “pop-up ice cream shop,” called Sweet Republic. The new dessert menu was designed by Top Chef Canada winner Matthew Stowe (JRG’s director of culinary operations) and MasterChef Canada winner David Jorge (JRG’s corporate chef).
A news release circulated this week by JRG notes that Marine Drive “had fallen on hard times” after a number of business closures. One issue of concern, states the release, is that commercial spaces are being left vacant by offshore owners, “viewing them more as speculative land investments rather than opportunities to develop or support businesses that contribute to the local community.”
“As dedicated members of White Rock’s business community, we’re thrilled to play a role in promoting the Marine Drive strip,” says JRG CEO Ryan Moreno in the release. “We think bringing the talents of Matt and Dave to the strip will be a huge boost for the area, and changing The Hemingway’s name to Oceanside is a fitting tribute to our beautiful waterfront location.
Stowe and Jorge will be on site from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 4 serving free ice cream for the opening day.
