Row of West End Vacancies Filled

A succession of storefronts that were empty last year have now all been filled after the Long Beach City Council gave two businesses approval to move into vacancies between Tennessee Avenue and New Hampshire Street.

Seaside Celebrations, a children’s entertainment center, moved into 949 W. Beech St., the former location of Evers Place, an art store and gallery, after the council granted the business a waiver off-street parking requirements on Feb. 21. Owners Debbie Mantia and Kristina O'Neill previously ran their business at 1030 W. Beech St. Mantia told the council that business hours at the new location are from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on weekdays and weekends.

The property was vacant since May 2011, after owner Scott Evers closed his art/gallery store that opened there in 2008. Evers had transformed his late father’s 1,200-square-foot home-improvement repair shop, Dan Evers, a fixture at that location since 1949.

At the adjacent vacancy, at 951A W. Beech St., a strictly counter service hot dog shop, The Dog Haus, will be open four days a week from 12 p.m. to about 1 a.m., according to an unnamed co-owner who addressed the council on Feb. 7. “To begin, it would be open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “So four days to start.”

When asked by one councilman what kind of foot traffic he projects, the co-owner said: “I think it’s going to vary immensely, because we’re somewhat targeting a beach crowd, a night crowd and a day crowd.”

The two businesses will neighbor Jake’s Wayback Burgers, at the former Beach Realty at 945 W. Beech St. In April 2011, the Long Beach Zoning Board of Appeals approved a mixed use and off-street parking variance for the franchise.

Jake’s had met with opposition after some residents circulated a petition with about 100 signatures that said the business would create traffic and parking problems and was out of character with the neighborhood. But others contended that the business would help to create jobs and fill a longtime vacancy.