Uncle Louie G’s to Run Wilson Park Snack Stand for Season

The lone business that offered to run the Wilson Park concession stand for the 2013 season is still the only business that wishes to do so. Uncle Louie G’s, operated by the Sandler family, was the only business which returned a bid when the Village of Mineola solicited businesses to operate the snack stand in Wilson Park this upcoming pool season.

The village board had previously authorized a request for proposals for local businesses to operate the snack stand with limited service during the summer pool season “with the understanding that we would not have cooking facilities available this year due to construction,” Mineola Village Clerk Joseph Scalero said during a meeting on May 15 at the village hall.

At a previous meeting, Scalero had indicated that a local merchant was interested in operating the stand – declining to identify the business – but the village issued a bidding process in the interest of fairness to other merchants.

According to Scalero the only bid that was returned was the one of the merchant already interested – Uncle Louie G’s.

Scalero stated that the Mineola ice cream shop would operate out of the existing concession area during regular pool and park hours, but not the front portion of the stand which is still under construction, and utilize the storage area in the rear of the snack stand building.

The stand burned down in August of 2011 and is being rebuilt but has suffered delays due to handicapped accessibility requirements on the new construction. A mobile trailer was used during the 2012 season and paid for with insurance funds and is reportedly not available this season.

“At their own expense they have offered to build some sort of serving area, whether it’s a tent or tables or some sort of mobile (device) so they can pack it up at the end of each day,” Scalero said.

The snack stand offer everything as a sealed packaged goods: ice cream, prepackaged snacks and beverages, but no cooked items.

“We know from prior concessionaires that those are the number one sellers, those three items are the top selling items every year,” Scalero said. “The truth was in recent years there wasn’t, with the cooking facilities, there wasn’t that great a volume of cooked items. People would buy chicken nuggets or hot dogs or whatever but the bulk of the sales at the end of the day was beverages, ice cream and snacks.”

Uncle Louie G’s has their own insurance and health certification and would also be bringing in their own refrigeration and cooling units for the food.

The proposal includes reimbursement to the village for electrical usage. “It’s going to be a nominal amount anyway,” Scalero said, noting that the proprietor suggested $10 a week as payment.

In the past the village received a small percentage of the sales from the concession stand which “never amounted to that much considering the cost of the building, maintaining and operating it,” Scalero said, indicating that owner John Sandler would be making a donation to a local charity or organization during the season since the stand is operating at a lower capacity.

The village clerk indicated that he had several organizations in mind but declined to specify any.

“That would be something that we negotiate at the end of the season,” Scalero said.

“I’m glad that somebody’s going to help us get through the season with some sort of snacks and beverages down there as we rebuild and renovate the handicapped bathrooms in that building,” Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss said.

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