New Details About VineRipe Grill Oust: Brookline Sets Meeting

BROOKLINE, MA — The commission that voted to bring a new restaurant to the Robert T Lynch Municipal Golf Course, rather than keep the restaurant that's been there for the past 13 years, is holding a public meeting Thursday on how that came to be.

"For some time, staff have been considering the opportunities that an expanded food service operation at the golf course would provide," Brookline's Director of Recreation Leigh Jackson said in a memo to Town Administrator Mel Kleckner on Monday.

Opportunities included having a restaurant that was open year round, expanding service to golfers during golf season, and supporting community programming in the off-season, Jackson said.

"I haven't heard any of that," Lisa Wisel, owner of VineRipe Grill said.

With the contract expiring on March 31, Jackson said it was the right time to pursue "an expanded operation."

So, the commission issued a public Request for Proposals on Dec. 17, 2020 for a year contract.

In addition to raising the rent, which she understood, Wisel said, "It was outrageous, financially."

Wisel said the request for proposal did indicate that the town wanted to pivot from orders given at a take-out window to full table service dining with wait staff. The RFP asked businesses applying to be the vendor to pay $100,000 in improvements to the golf course, wanted the restaurant to install air conditioning and to take 10 percent of VineRipe's catering sales, increase the discount for golf course employees among other things.

"We couldn't bid," she said. "After the year we had, we didn't bid."

It was, after all, the middle of a pandemic.

The town wrote her back saying they were surprised she didn't bid, Wisel said.

In fact, no one bid, according to Jackson.

"A number of possible vendors expressed an interest in the contract but felt the risk and length of the contract included within the RFP were excessive," she said.

So, the department modified the contract terms by limiting it to one year and by reducing some of the risk, she said. Because time was running out, they sent out a Request for Quotes, which is a speedier, shorter process, on Feb. 10.

The RFQ asks for a copy of a proposed menu, doesn't demand capital improvements. It asks for either a commitment to give the town $30,000 or a percent of sales.

"We assumed it was a wink and a nod to us," Wisel said. "We thought for one more year, why would they risk going with an unknown? We do a great job, we don't get complaints, we were 100 percent sure it was going to go our way. "

But that's not how it went.

By Feb. 17, three vendors, including VineRipe Grill submitted quotes.

Jackson said the procurement officer appointed a review committee of two members of the Park and Recreation Commission and three town staff. The committee reviewed the submitted quotes, interviewed each respondent, and recommended a vendor for the contract. The recommendation was to award the contract to BM&S LLC d/b/a Bisq Meats & Sandwiches, an entity controlled by Chris Yorty.

"Mr. Yorty has an exceptional reputation as a chef in greater Boston and a commitment to pursue our business vision for the course," Jackson said. "Mr. Yorty’s price proposal included the 6% of sales option, which provides an opportunity for greater revenue to the Town."

VineRipe had chosen the $30,000 option, said Wisel. Amid the pandemic, that seemed more reasonable for everyone, she said.

The meeting agenda went online March 4, and Jackson presented the recommendation to the Park and Recreation Commission on March 9.

Although the interview team told Yorty ahead of the meeting he was the person they were planning to recommend, Wisel said she was not informed that she was not the chosen one or that the meeting was happening.

Wisel said she was disappointed that the town hadn't reached out to her, personally, in the days following the vote, and that she had to do the work of tracking down what happened. She has to be out of the building in 15 days. She sent a note to customers thanking them for their business, sparking an outcry.

"A great deal of public concern and confusion has arisen," Jackson said. "In response, I recommended that a meeting of the Park and Recreation Commission be convened to hear public comment on the matter."

This meeting is set for 7 p.m. March 18.

Wisel said she hopes the town admits to making a mistake.

"Everything is on hold until they have this public hearing,"Wisel said. "I'm not sure anything will change, but voices should be heard, and there will be a lot of them Thurs night. I guess we'll see what happens."

Previously: Brookline Votes Not To Keep VineRipe Grill At Golf ...

Click HERE to sign up to watch the meeting Thursday.