My View of Life on the Dock
Just past the corner of Witham and Thatcher before Long Beach Dairy Maid, clearing and surveying underway on two lots across from the former Amelia’s/Olivia’s space.
photos below – BEFORE (2019 and earlier) Water run off used to ice over before DPW work along this stretch
This location was the former site of a restaurant and parking lot (Olivia’s and Amelia’s before). The first photograph was taken just over a year ago, October 4, 2015. I wasn’t setting out to document the new construction; the nocturne grabbed me. Flash forward a year; the new build is progressing. 78 Thatcher.
“Olivia’s by the Sea”, formerly “Amelia’s” (near Good Harbor Beach), is under new management! It has been taken over by the same people who run the new Cape Ann Diner in Brown’s Mall. It has been renovated, and work will continue until the summer. The new layout includes an informal, tray-serving-style dining area, designed to be comfortable for beach-goers:
and a smaller, more formal area where there will be waiter service and a more comprehensive menu.
Outside, the plan is to have an ice cream window on one side of the outdoor eating area. In short, something for everyone!
On Wednesday, the restaurant opened for a breakfast test run “on the house” so that a small number of people could try the food and meet the staff. I was invited, so I showed up for a late breakfast. The menu has a wide selection of scrumptious sounding breakfast food, with reasonable prices (although not as inexpensive as the Cape Ann Diner, which is to be expected for the location and style). I opted for a scrambled egg with bacon, home fries, and beans, with a mug of decaf coffee.
It was delicious! And the owner, Ron, and the greeters and servers were friendly and cheerful.
They will be opening fully for business sometime next month. I look forward to it!
Good Morning Gloucester 