Every summer, the boardwalk concessions come to life at Beach 106th, 97th and 86th Street, but now Arverne has gotten a pop of love with four new weekend pop-up concession tents on Beach 67th Street—El Par, MUGZ, and Segunda Ola—and Sands on Beach 74th Street.
Several entrepreneurs reached out to the team at Rockaway Bazaar, which has the contract for the boardwalk concessions to inquire about opportunities. Wanting to offer more in scarce areas further downtown, weekend boardwalk pop-ups have started to emerge around surf areas in Arverne.
With experience working at Caracas and Super Burrito, the Garzón family of Arverne, has brought a new food concept, El Par (the pair) to Beach 67th Street, serving up Colombian/Mexican beach treats. Before heading to the beach, grab a Dorilocos, a walking taco in a small bag of Doritios, filled with lettuce, pico de gallo, cheese and your choice of protein like chicken, steak or Colombian chorizo. Don’t forget to pair it with Mexican esquites, tangy and sweet corn in a cup. Maybe opt for a refreshing salpicon, a refreshing fruit tropical cup with fresh fruit and juice that makes you feel like you’re on an island instead of a peninsula. The treat can also be topped with condensed milk and ice cream, turning it into a dessert. El Par is operated by Carolina, Arturo and Veronica Garzón, on Fridays through Sundays, and some Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. “We’re so happy to be here,” Veronica Garzón said. “It’s been such a dream.” For more info, follow @elpar_nyc on Instagram.
At MUGZ Coffee on Beach 67th Street, you’ll find Arverne resident Jason Powers serving up his cold brew coffee recipe to give beachgoers a boost. He also has water, soda, chips, candy and even bagels. “It’s like a snack shop at the beach,” Powers said. Some may remember Powers from his first pop-up last summer, Halve Kaff, offering half-caffeine cold brew around Beach 77th and Beach 84th, and while the experience was fun, Powers learned a lesson. “The majority of people at Rockaway Beach want as much caffeine as they can get,” he said with a laugh. So MUGZ coffee is offered fully caffeinated, and comes with a smile, sometimes a doodle and feel-good vibes. “Our motto is ’Your mug iz 1 of 1,’ so I’m just trying to make people feel special with good coffee,” Powers said. The daily doodles of a MUGZ follower can be found on his Instagram page @mugzcoffeeny, every morning. MUGZ is open on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Segunda Ola (second wave), open Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is your one stop shop for a cute new beach outfit or to grab those beach items that you may have forgotten. Operated by Queens resident Stephanie Parilla, who regularly comes to Rockaway, recently spent six months in Colombia, from where she brought back some unique vintage and handmade pieces that customers can try on in a changing room tent. “A lot of people go in my changing room and leave with a new bathing suit, sunglasses, a whole new outfit, and that’s what I wanted, so it’s been really great,” Parilla said. “I feel like Rockaway was kind of missing a thrift store. I know there’s a lot of vintage options, but not everyone has tried Colombian vintage items. She also offers beach items like umbrellas and beach bags, and a lounge space where people can grab a bite nearby and hang out. “I’m trying to meet people and build a community,” Parilla said. For more info, follow @segundaola.nyc on Instagram.
On Beach 74th Street, you can feel like you’re stepping into a friend’s living room with Arverne by the Sea residents Hinda Rabai and Annette Bakos serving up baguette sandwiches with a smile at Sands. As Hinda is Moroccan and Annette is Armenian, they both bring some options from their respective cultures. The Agadir Swell is a tuna sandwich with Moroccan harissa, tomatoes, olives, lemon and olive oil. The Medina Maverick has prosciutto, Armenian cheese, fig jam and arugula. Sands is also a source of healthy fuel for boardwalk bikers, joggers and surfers with offerings like power bites, coconut waters, LMNT Electrolyte Elixers, Genius Sparkling Protein Seltzers and more. Plus, for some sweeter treats, they offer the mini bébé, a brioche baguette with Nutella and fruit, cake pops and ocean blue Shark Attack Lemonade. Each sandwich comes with a choice of snack, baked good or drink.
Bakos and Rabai have been trying to launch a food business for a while, and finally got an opportunity to try out something smaller. “We started the process, but something always came up and led us a different way, so we just rode the wave all the way here,” Rabai said. “It just all came together, and it’s been really nice. We’re always having people over and wanted to do something with food, and this has become a social scene, where we have people grabbing food and hanging out. When you give something with good energy and good intention, it just works.” Bakos added, “If your pricing is fair and your quality is good, it keeps people coming and it turns into a local hangout, which is what we’re hoping for.” Sands is open Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more info, follow @sandsrockawaybeach on Instagram.
