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Tropical storm Arthur has put a damper on the start of the weekend but by the time the sun starts to shine Saturday patrons of the Anchor’s Bend bar will be able to sit on the beach, drink in hand.

The Asbury Park City Council unanimously voted Wednesday to include areas on the beach immediately adjacent to businesses as part of the definition of a sidewalk cafe.

Areas for service had been previously restricted to public sections of the boardwalk, sidewalk, plazas, parks and public right-of ways that are immediately adjacent to a business and did not specifically include portions of the beach.

Primarily situated in Convention Hall’s Grand Arcade, The Anchor’s Bend, a gastropub that serves craft beers and fine spirits, opens up to include the north promenade when warmer weather arrives. The service area will now extend 30 feet out on the sand.

“We are excited for the opportunity to extend the positive vibe the Anchor’s Bend has created on the north side of Convention Hall onto the beach,” said Carrie Turner, general manager of the boardwalk for redeveloper Madison Marquette. “The City has been a great partner in helping us realize this vision and we look forward to creating an experience that draws even more patrons to the Asbury Park Boardwalk.”

An additional licensing fee of could see the city increase the fees charged for use of the space from $4 to $7 per square foot for boardwalk businesses and $2 to $3 for downtown and Main Street businesses effective Jan. 1, 2015. Turner and several boardwalk business owners successfully spoke out against the changes prompting the city council to remove them in favor of further research and negotiation.

A $3 increase per square foot may not sound like much, boardwalk business owner Nick Oliveri told the council, but in context it means doubling the restaurant’s exterior café operating costs per season from around $20,000 to $40,000. Oliveri is part owner of Stella Marina, Cubacan, and as-yet-unopened Blue Nami sushi restaurant.

“During that season we get two months, and what we all have to look at is, during that two months we can’t use the outdoors in rain, wind, inclement weather. So it’s probably worth the equivalent of paying $40 or $50 a square foot,” Oliveri said.

Boardwalk restaurateur Tim McLoone, who owns another seaside restaurant in Long Branch where they do not charge any fees for al fresco seating, said although he hates to admit it, his Asbury Park restaurant has not turned a profit since its inception whereas his Long Branch venture is thriving.

“We’ve been pretty much clobbered in our experience in Asbury Park, we have not made one dollar in that building since we’ve been here. We came here to try and make money and to also support the city and its revitalization,” he said.

City Manager John “Jack” Kelly, who proposed the increase, said the commercial retailers on the boardwalk may have to renegotiate the interior square footage rates paid to their lessor, Madison Marquette, since the city fees have not been raised in six years.

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