- April 25, 2024
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The sign is still yet to be hung, but Flagler Beach’s newest eatery the Funky Pelican, which is settled at the Flagler Beach Pier, is no doubt open for business.
The Florida fare, casual restaurant opened Jan. 9, after three years of planning and renovations by owner Raymond Barshay and business partner Ford Menard. Renovations included gutting the interior and adding a deck overlooking the beach.
“We had a lot of negotiations to get the lease together in addition to plans and construction,” Barshay said. “Taking over a building and rebuilding it for the most part, because that is what was required — the building had not had a lot done to it for many years.”
The opening date for the restaurant had been pushed back several times, but Barshay said there was no specific reason, they just wanted to do it right.
“You can patch things, but if you want to do it right it takes time,” he said. “It has been a great collaboration on everybody’s part from the city to the team of people working here. It takes a village to raise a restaurant and we couldn’t have a better place to be. Flagler Beach is a great town to be in business in.”
One of those villagers is General Manager Erin O’Brien. O’Brien, a Palm Coast resident, came to the Funky Pelican from The Shores Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach.
O’Brien said she knew the new pier eatery was going to be something special, and she wanted to be a part of it. Her main role in the pre-opening process was hiring. She interviewed more than 500 people, hiring exactly 100.
“I believe that we have found ourselves a strong team,” she said.
The first week of business has been crazy, she said. Crazy good. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the restaurant has had a wait from approximately 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., leaving the first two hours of business peaceful as the sun rises over the ocean painting the morning sky.
That morning view and the constant view of the ocean, complete with fishermen and the surfers, is what draws in most customers.
“It is a million-dollar view,” O’Brien said. “You can’t beat it.”
One view that is constantly changing is on the two large chalkboards that greet customers on the front of the restaurant. During the year of renovations leading to the opening those walls were covered with construction paper. As time passed, people would walk by and write their names and messages to others on the paper.
One day, the owners were looking at the paper and thought it would be neat to keep it going, a living mural. Chalkboard was soon installed and there is talk of web cams in the future.
“We have a lot of tourists here, so when people from out of town come, they can tell their friends and family to go online and see them signing the board,” O’Brien said. “People get really excited about it.”
The Funky Pelican is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Call 439-0011.
