Community Corner

Long Beach and Brazil Mix at West End Establishment

Jetty replaces Bahia as original owners make their return after Hurricane Sandy.


After Hurricane Sandy some Long Beach businesses owners have found the storm has given them a new life they might not have pursued otherwise.

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Jetty, the new name of Bahia Social Club, at 832 W. Beech St., is one such establishment. The restaurant-bar opened two years ago as place for Brazilian-style cuisine and cocktails, and while the owners have retained their original menu, chef and indoor-outdoor dining, they rebuilt it to evoke a more hometown atmosphere.

“We wanted it to be more warm and incorporate more about Long Beach,” said co-owner John Rugolsky, who opened Bahia with his business partner, Mike Orza, in July 2011.

The name Jetty, of course, is meant to evoke the waterfront community, and more windows were installed to create a more sunlit and airy environment, inviting breezes spiced with saltwater from the beach a few short blocks away.

Patrons who return will find the walls are lined with a mix of reclaimed colorful and custom-finished wood and a long, high table in the dining area is made of boards from the former Sandy-battered Long Beach boardwalk, whose knobbed rails serve as its legs.   

Following the storm, Rugolsky and Orza partnered with Chris Fiumara, a Long Beach resident and former manager of a nightclub in Hunter Mountain, to help reinvent and run their business.     

“We wanted to incorporate some new ideas and give it a fresh look,” Fiumara said about the renovation. “It took considerable resources to reopen again.”

Bahia sustained considerable damages during Sandy, yet the owners turned their establishment into a distribution center of donated goods for the storm-ravaged community.

“We started with a table outside and then bags and bags of donations came in,” Rugolsky recalled. “The place was filled with everything from toothbrushes to Chanel bags. The locals really appreciated it." 

After he and Orza operated in this charitable capacity for two months, they received not a dime from their insurance company and started to weigh whether to reopen. Thus, the idea for Jetty was born.

The partners decided to keep their chef, El Salvador native Israel Hernandez, who would continue to prepare their signature fish tacos, as well as everything from beef, shrimp and chicken empanadas to hand-made burgers, which the owners think is the best in town.

“All food is made to order and all fresh, never frozen,” Fiumara said.

While bartenders are sure to still serve up exotic drinks, such as the popular option Caipirinha Sunset, a spin on a Brazilian specialty that blends cachaça, sugar, lime, pineapple juice, pomegranate juice and passion fruit, patrons can also enjoy a variety of microbrews that include Lawrence IPA, Shipyard Summer Ale, and Southampton Double White Ale.

“This is one of the few places around where you can get craft beer,” Rugolsky said.

As a way to attract local sports fans, Jetty has lined its walls and bar area with several flat screens. At the same time, though, the owners look to put greater emphasis on the establishment’s nightlife and musical entertainment. They plan to book more bands, especially with a Caribbean flare, with Sundays serving as their primary day to showcase reggae and funk acts. 

“We are looking to give a beachy atmosphere with good food and better nightlife,” Fiumara said, “and become a premier band and live music venue.”

Jetty is open from 12 p.m. to 4 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday. 

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