close
close

Salty's Beach Bar on Lake Como is closing after a three-year ownership dispute

Two minute read

LAKE COMO – Salty's Beach Bar will close in November, the operator said. This ends a three-and-a-half-year operation that was embroiled in legal disputes behind the scenes.

The operator, Michelle Fontanez, also agreed with the property's owner, Reginald Hyde, who also owns Bar Anticipation, to drop her offer to purchase the property in exchange for a payment of $585,000, court documents show.

“It got to a point for me where even a win felt like a loss, even if we didn't settle and went to court and won,” Fontanez told the Asbury Park Press on Monday. “It was just a no-win situation.”

Salty's is a low-key bar on the Jersey Shore that replaced Paul's Tavern, a town staple since 1979. It features live music and attracts an older crowd than nearby bar Anticipation.

Belmar: Playa Bowls purchased by new owner who has big plans

It joins a list of Shore bars and restaurants, from the Boathouse Bar & Grill in Belmar to the Mad Hatter in Sea Bright, that are embroiled in legal disputes.

Jay Reed, 26, of Asbury Park, said he was devastated to hear the bar was closing. He often rode his bike to Belmar and then took an easy trip to Salty's.

“It’s just a nice atmosphere,” Reed said.

Spring lake: Belmar off-duty lifeguard rescues swimmer caught in current

Paul's Tavern was put on the market following the death of its owner Paul Heaney in 2020. And Fontanez, who has owned the Surf's Up Candle store next to the bar for 11 years, expressed interest in buying it from its owner – Pay Day Realty. According to court documents, it is a company owned by Heaney's Estate and Bar A's Hyde.

According to court documents, the estate agreed to sell the bar, liquor license and property to Fontanez in February 2021 for $1.5 million.

According to a complaint, Fontanez changed the name to Salty's, renovated the bar and reopened it.

But nine months later, as it neared closure, Hyde exercised his alleged right of first refusal and purchased the property from the estate, prompting Fontanez to file a lawsuit.

Hyde did not immediately respond to an email asking about his plans for the site.

Fontanez announced on Facebook that she would be closing the bar on November 3 and thanked her customers and employees.

“Trust me when I tell you it hasn’t been an easy fight in this city,” she wrote. “Still, I have met some of the best people in the world over the course of this experience and so I wouldn’t change a thing. I am very proud of what I have achieved and will go home knowing that I always did my best.”%. I want to thank each and every one of you who have always believed in and supported Salty's.

Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter for the Asbury Park Press. He has been writing about New Jersey's economy and health care for more than 20 years. He can be reached at [email protected].

You may also like...