Big changes coming to Cocoa Beach Pier

by Wayne T. Price, Florida Today

COCOA BEACH – It was a hot day at Cocoa Beach earlier this month, and a tiny breeze offered little respite to the glaring midday sun and humidity.

Yet there was Mark Mrozinski, Westgate Resorts' vice president of retail, dining and spa operations, preparing to give a tour of the under-renovation Cocoa Beach Pier, dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans. He was all smiles and barely breaking a sweat.

"Where you from?" he asked a couple of swim suited-clad tourists making their way to The Boardwalk Bar, one of six eating venues at the Pier.

"Thanks for coming," Mrozinski told the Michigan couple, still grinning. "Enjoy your visit."

Mrozinski wasn't doing this for schtick. He was demonstrating what successful hospitality professionals do every day: Make their guests feel special.

Of course another way to show you care is spending more than seven figures — way more — on upgrading facilities, everything from furniture to light fixtures to making sure floor designs don't obstruct the ocean views. That's what the Orlando-based Westgate has done since acquiring the Pier in May.

Westgate is making changes big and small as it works to return the Pier to its glory days and develop it into a major tourism destination that will attract travelers from all over the world. The company won't specify just how much it's investing in the Pier to accomplish this, but the overhaul is significant.

An overhaul
Small changes include new signs welcoming people to the 52-year-old pier along with new railing work and placards detailing the area's history as people enter the 800-foot-long structure.

The menus feature fresh fish coming in at nearby Port Canaveral rather than frozen fish. Retail shelves are being restocked with new products — including those unique to Brevard County. On the way out: items such as "Sons of Anarchy"-themed apparel.

Big changes include completely revamped menus and food operations. And of course, a complete renovation of the bathrooms leading into the boardwalk, which many patrons complained had become more like portable toilets at an outdoor rock concert than those at facility meant as as tourism showcase.

"It used to be so nasty to go in those bathrooms," said Deena Sloan of Port St. John, who has been going to the Pier since moving here from California in 1995. "People would see those bathrooms and they were just bad. It's great they've done something about it."

Why Westgate

On paper, the Cocoa Beach Pier doesn't necessarily fit into the 23 time-share resorts that make up Westgate.

Off paper, though, it plays a part in the history of Westgate's colorful founder David Siegel who visited the Pier many times over the past four decades with his family to eat dinner and watch surfing events.

Siegel still has family in the Cocoa Beach area and the Pier's restoration is as much an homage to them as it is a wise business decision to invest in Brevard. In fact Keith's Oyster Bar at the Pier, which replaced Aw Shucks, is named after Siegel's nephew, Keith Siegel, who died 1989 in a diving accident while spearfishing for grouper off the Brevard coast.

After purchasing the property in May, Siegel said one of his goals was to use the Pier "as a means to bring his children into the family business and learn the art of entertaining families."

They'll also be learning the art of synergy.

Westgate is one of the biggest vendors of Orlando-area theme park tickets as millions of tourists visit the company's properties each year. Now Westgate will be promoting the Pier and and excursions to Cocoa Beach.

"Listen, we know when people visit Florida that they also want to go to the beaches and not spend all their time at a theme park," Mrozinski said. "This will be a nice option for families that want to go to the beach."

For locals and tourists

There have been a few comments on the Pier's Facebook page, and rumblings among Cocoa Beach old timers fearing Westgate will infuse a corporate mentality into the Pier, eroding what makes it special.

Already, menu prices have gone up slightly, they noted.

Mrozinski doesn't apologize. Menu prices edged up because the quality of the food also has risen.

Westgate's strategy is to make the Pier more family friendly like it use to be, not turn it into some generic franchise like the Hard Rock Cafe or Sandals resorts.

"We want this to be a place where the whole family can come here, get something to eat, get a drink and watch the ocean," Mrozinski said. "We're getting away from the 'power-drinking' mentality."

Cocoa Beach Mayor Dave Netterstrom sees the changes as positive.

"The Pier will be a great destination for the visitors to our area and it will help improve our image and attract the targeted visitors that will contribute economically to our area," Netterstrom said. "Hopefully a ripple effect will be created. Unfortunately, Cocoa Beach has difficulty with change. Not sure if it's fear of the unknown or just a solid level of comfort with what you see today — like a favorite pair of jeans or shoes."

He urges locals to "give Westgate a fair chance at making the changes before they pass judgment."

"If they are disappointed because their casual watering hole is going away, perhaps they'll consider the Pier as more of a 'date night' place to go to once in a while," he said.

Celebrity appearances

Former NBA great Shaquille O'Neal caused quite a stir last month when he and a female companion visited Cocoa Beach, swimming and meeting with locals and tourists. "Shaq" even made a couple visits to the Pier to sample head chef Amanda Davenport's gator bites.

It wasn't surprising to Mrozinski.

He and other Westgate executives promote the Pier through its other properties — including the company's recently purchased Las Vegas Hotel — not to mention social media sites.

In short, maybe O'Neal's visit to the Pier wasn't a one-off?

"God only knows who will show up," Mrozinksi said. "But word is starting to spread about a lot of changes we made."

Contact Price at 321-242-3658 or wprice@floridatoday.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Fla2dayBiz.