Ocean 302 remained open a month after its bar manager asked the community for help, following a difficult slow season that had left owner Charlie Zubi about a week from closing the Melbourne Beach restaurant.
Zubi, who has owned Ocean 302 for almost 11 years, said the restaurant was struggling through the slow season and nearly out of options, according to WKMG ClickOrlando. “We were about seven days out from closing,” Zubi told the station. Bar manager Veronica Afflerbach said the restaurant was about a week from shutting down when she decided to appeal directly to the community.
A Plea on Facebook Turns Into a Wave of Support
Afflerbach’s Facebook appeal drew nearly 500 likes and almost 200 shares, according to the station’s report. The comments included people recalling their visits, calling Ocean 302 a favorite and saying they planned to come in.
The response also included direct inquiries from regulars, Afflerbach said. Some customers who do not live in the area year-round asked whether they could buy gift cards, according to the report. Zubi said the community’s support gave the restaurant hope at a critical moment.
A nationwide effort took a different approach
Ocean 302’s reported response grew from a local Facebook appeal and support from regulars. By contrast, HP-PR and Hall PR announced a nationwide restaurant-support initiative in New York on March 16, 2020, in response to the coronavirus crisis; its stated aim was to get funds to restaurants, according to the initiative’s release via PR Newswire.
Still Open a Month Later
A month after the appeal, Ocean 302 was still open and working through the slow season, according to the station’s report. Zubi thanked the community for its support. “We're here for our customers,” he said.
Ocean 302 Bar and Grill sits at 302 Ocean Ave. in Melbourne Beach, where Zubi also owns The Melbourne Beach Market, according to Space Coast Living. The restaurant lists hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Ocean 302’s experience does not establish a wider trend along the coast. Other restaurant-support efforts have included a 2020 gift-card website intended to help struggling restaurants, reported by the Mercury News. More recently, SILive.com reported that restaurant owners and the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office advise customers to use gift cards sooner rather than later in case an eatery closes.
For now, Ocean 302 remains a Melbourne Beach fixture, still navigating the quieter months but still serving the regulars who showed up when it mattered most.
