Donovan’s Reef To Reduce Capacity After Weekend Crowds

SEA BRIGHT, NJ – Beachside hotspot Donovan’s Reef is amplifying its safety measures after videos of a Saturday crowd drew criticism online for failing to abide by social distancing guidelines. The bar is immediately reducing its capacity to 25 percent and enforcing a strict face mask policy, according to owner Christine Carducci.

“Instead of giving people masks when they go into the building to use the bathroom – we were handing them out because inside you need to wear a mask – we’re requiring people to come up with a mask on when they come into the whole property,” Carducci told Patch.

Over the weekend, videos of the crowded bar amassed criticism from neighboring bar owners and elected officials, including Gov. Phil Murphy. In a June 29 press conference, the governor referenced the lack of social distancing at the Jersey Shore, as well as coronavirus spikes in other states, as he paused the reopening of indoor dining indefinitely. Read more: Gov. Murphy Postpones NJ Indoor Dining Reopen Amid Coronavirus

Carducci says that she spent months and tens of thousands of dollars preparing to reopen the popular beachside hub by purchasing hands-free appliances, electrostatic sanitizers and even hiring a public health consultant.

“I spoke with the owner and management of Donovan's. We had a long discussion about some of the guidelines that were unclear to them,” wrote Marilou Halverson, President and CEO, New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association in a statement on July 1. “They’ve spent countless hours training their staff on COVID-19 safety protocols. And now they are willing to do even more to ensure social distancing in their outdoor beach bar location. These are unprecedented times, and businesses are learning and adapting as they go.”

As of June 29, further safety precautions at Donovan's Reef include a maximum capacity of 400, increased staff presence and additional signage and picnic tables to promote social distancing. Live music is paused until further notice.

“We’re making it more like dining, like people are going to a specific spot instead of just standing around in big groups,” said Carducci. “We had some difficulties with social distancing at times. It was really more at night, because during the daytime people just get up from their spot on the beach, they get a drink and they go back to their spot. At night they were gathering around the band a little bit, we were telling them to move apart.”

Although indoor seating has not been available since March, nightlife aficionados could still get their fix on a newly renovated deck and outdoor bar when Donovan’s Reef opened in June. But Carducci says that regulations around bar service will look much different going forward. Ordering a drink will now require customers to stand four feet away from the bar. A line has also been drawn around service areas on the outdoor deck to discourage customers from congregating around the bar.

Carducci says that, since June 29, Donovan’s Reef has eradicated its parking lot queue. Instead, when the bar is at capacity, prospective customers will be turned away.

“Now we’re saying, ‘wear your own mask, or else you can’t get in’, and people are doing it. People are complying. We feel bad because a lot of people are being turned away and it’s hard,” said Carducci.

“Our big mistake was we didn’t think you had to wear a mask on the beach, so people are walking around with their drinks on the beach. But if you’re not social distancing, you should be in a mask. So that’s the whole thing that we had to get our head around, but now I think we got it.”