Dolphin Restaurant set to be demolished, city official confirms
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) - UPDATE ON APRIL 16, 2024 AT 2:14 P.M.- A long time restaurant on the Santa Cruz Wharf will not be reopening their doors.
Travis Beck who is the Superintendent of Parks for the City of Santa Cruz said that the Dolphin Restaurant will be demolished after the restaurant was damaged in the February storms.
Beck told KION that the restaurant is scheduled to be demolished by Fall 2024 or early 2025. Beck said that there are missing pilings underneath the building and will need to be removed in order for the pilings to be replaced.
The Dolphin Restaurant had been in operation since 1963.
Santa Cruz Wharf damaged again from gusty winds and powerful winds
UPDATE ON FEB. 5, 2024 AT 6:24 PM- The Santa Cruz Wharf sustained significant damage from the winter storm on Sunday night.
Tony Eillot who is the director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Santa Cruz said that the end of the wharf which includes the Dolphin Restaurant, restroom and sea lion viewing holes are closed.
Elliot said the Dolphin Restaurant which was damaged in December are still talking with the city officials on what their next steps will be.
The city that there could be a pop-up Dolphin Restaurant this summer but that is still in the planning stages.
Businesses slowly reopen on Santa Cruz Wharf, Dolphin Restaurant still closed
UPDATE ON JAN. 3, 2024 AT 6:34 PM- Businesses on the Santa Cruz Wharf are slowly reopening after parts of the wharf were damaged last week
The city says large swells on the wharf right under the Dolphin Restaurant which has called the wharf since 1963.
The damage was surprising to Jill Veccione who has worked on the Wharf for over 30 years as the manager of Marinis Candles
""I was surprised. I've seen a lot of waves and a lot of weather out here," said Veccione.
According to Travis Beck who is the Superintendent of Parks for the City of Santa Cruz, the edge of the wharf's support system was wiped out by the waves.
"We lost several pilings right underneath one of the important structural members of the wharf," Beck said. "So we do have a collapse of the decking right in that section."
The whole entrance to the end of the wharf is blocked off. Not only did this cause damage to the wharf, but it also caused structural damage to the Dolphin Restaurant.
"That corner of the restaurant is also damaged," Beck said. "And we'll get that more formally evaluated when we hear back from our engineers later next week."
The city says the last time an inspection was done at the Santa Cruz Wharf was back in 2020.
During last week's high surf, businesses shut down for a day and a half because some of the wooden pillars snapped in half.
"We were depending on that. And it was for the safety of everyone." Veccione said. "But they wanted to make sure that the sprinkler systems and the water mains were all going to be okay because there was a second king tide coming up and all that stuff's under the water."
As of Wednesday, the Dolphin Restaurant is the only business that's closed.
Beck said when the doors will reopen for the restaurant is still unknown.
""So for now, we're saying it's closed for the time being," Beck said. "And after we get that engineering report, we'll have a much clearer picture of what's going to be possible in the short term and then in the longer term.
Beck says they hope to get the engineering report by next week.
Santa Cruz Wharf partially reopens after powerful waves damage portions of the wharf
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The Santa Cruz Wharf has partially reopened after a high surf event saw powerful waves crash against the wharf on Thursday morning, leaving some damage behind.
Parts of the wharf were chipped away by the dangerous surf. A portion of the wharf near the Dolphin Restaurant sunk as a result of the waves
Santa Cruz Wharf staff and the city said the end of the Wharf, including the Dolphin Restaurant, restroom three and the sea lion viewing holes are closed and fenced off from the public until further notice.
The wharf was one of multiple areas impacted by the high surf on Thursday.
Capitola was underwater once again, with businesses needing to clean up after recovering from the previous Winter storm in January
The high surf on Thursday impacted the wharf in multiple areas.
Capitola was underwater once again, with businesses needing to clean up after recovering from the previous Winter storm in January.
