FAQ.html

Our minimum price for a party is $3000 on Fridays & Saturdays, $2500 Sunday thru Thursday (including taxes and gratuity). Having less than 50 guests will just make your per person amount increase in order to achieve our minimum pricing. If you have 30 or less people, you can reserve a section on our deck and order from our regular DECK MENU. This is called "Off The Menu", because you are ordering "off of our regular deck menu". We can even create a limited menu from our regular deck menu and your wait staff can hand out the printed menu to your guests. For example, we can call it "Bob's Birthday Beach Bash" and list some select starters and entrees (without prices) for your guests to choose from. Keep in mind that an "Off The Menu" party is basically reserving a section of the deck and having waiter service. It is NOT like the catered buffet party in which you have a private section of the deck for 4 hours with a bar, DJ, dancing, etc. To reserve an “Off The Menu” party, we require a $100 deposit.

Another alternative is to have what we call a "concession party" on our deck. This is best suited for parties with young people, such as a Sweet 16. A concession party is our private deck area, for 4 hours, for $25 a person. The menu for this type of party is concession hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, nachos, make your own ice cream sundaes, soda and water. That's it! No other menu options are available for this type of party (which is why it is best for a party with young people.) PLEASE NOTE: Concession parties are ONLY available on Mondays thru Wednesdays.

What is the difference between a daytime and an evening party?

A DAYTIME PARTY is a “day at the beach" (and on our party deck). Your guests can arrive as early as 9am (10 am on weekdays) and enjoy a continental breakfast on the deck (extra charge per person) then head off to the beach and get their FREE beach umbrellas and chairs. Soda and water are also provided in coolers that are brought to the beach. The actual buffet luncheon and alcohol (if you have an alcohol package) spans 4 hours (typically Noon to 4 pm). After the official party is over, your guests can still enjoy the beach and free rentals until 5pm (that is the time our rentals unit closes - if you want to stay longer, that can be arranged.)

AN EVENING PARTY spans 4 hours and can begin at either 5pm or 6pm. (You can add an hour for an additional charge.) Typically, evening parties are used for Graduation parties, Birthday parties, Weddings, and other similar events. When thinking about what time you'd like to begin your party, take into consideration the time of day the sun sets and plan how much of your party you want in daylight and how much at night. (For Sunset information, go to the website www.sunrisesunset.com)

What do we do about parking on a busy weekend day?

The Sea Gulls’ Nest Parking lot (Area D) often closes by 9:30 - 10am on busy weekends in the summer. Party guests should arrive early to get a spot. If, however, a guest arrives after Lot D is closed off, they can park in the next lot, Beach Lot E, and just take a 5-minute walk back to Area D. Since the entire park will often be full by 10:30 - 11am on busy weekends, all guests need to arrive early (by 9:30 am). The National Park Service does NOT allow us to reserve spots for any beach visitor and will NOT allow anyone into the park after it is full.

How does the rain date work (daytime beach parties ONLY)?

We only offer a rain date with the understanding that the rain date you choose will need to be changed if another party books your rain date as their primary party date.
As we get closer to the date of your event, we make a determination if a rain date might be used. Due to the unpredictable nature of weather forecasting, it is best to have a system in place to inform all your guests that the rain date will be used. Please note: A rainy day is NOT a day where there is a threat of thundershowers at some point (typical summer weather).

What about parking and parking fees?

There is a parking fee ($10 per car) charged by the National Park Service between Memorial Day and Labor Day. However, after 4 pm parking is free, so evening parties need not be concerned.

For daytime parties, you have three choices with regard to paying the National Park Service parking fees:

a) You can have each of your guests pay their own parking fee as they enter the park. It costs $10 per car, regardless of how many people are in the car.

b) We can provide you with a parking pass template that you copy and distribute to all your guests via mail/fax/email. Your guests will hand in 1/2 of the pass to the toll collectors as they enter the park and put the other 1/2 on their dashboard. The National Park Service bills us $10 for each pass handed in, and we then add the charges to your final invoice.

c) You can bring your guests to Sandy Hook on a bus. The parking fee is $75 per bus. If the bus just drops off and picks up, there is no charge for parking.

What about decorations/tables/plates & utensils, etc.?

For daytime beach parties, decorations are unnecessary. Besides the beauty of the ocean, bay, and surrounding landscape, we have green and off-white tables with matching green chairs. We also have green ferns hanging from our pitched 18 foot high tent.

For a more "upscale" look, we can rent you our custom made off-white chair covers ( $2.00 per chair cover) that fit perfectly over our bistro chair. We do NOT have table cloths, but, you can rent table cloths from an outside party vendor (or we can rent them for you and add them to your final invoice). If you choose to use our hunter green bistro chairs uncovered, renting white table cloths looks very nice.

Our "regular" tables are 32 inches X 96 inches and seat 10 people. (The best table cloth size for these tables would be 72x120.)

Our "high top tables" are approximately 42-44 inches high (whereas regular tables are 28 inches high) and require our stools to sit at. The high top tables can seat 4 and have a nice view of the ocean/bay. The high top tables measure 43-47 inches x 23 inches. The 72X120 table cloths can be used, they just need to be folded under.

Determining number of tables all becomes much more clear once you see our deck and how it is laid out (and we know the number of people you are having at your event.)

For table centerpieces and decorations, keep in mind that we have sea breezes that may blow out candles, and knock over tall and/or fragile items. Balloons are not allowed in Sandy Hook due to the potential hazard to wildlife. We do not "decorate" for you. Yes, we set up tables, put on the seat covers (if rented), put on the table cloths, but it is your responsibility to either decorate yourself, or hire someone to decorate the tables and deck on the day of your party. (We allow set up to begin 2 hours before the start of your event.)

We use high grade white plastic plates and utensils. We feel this goes well with the casual beach feel of our location and our BBQ menus. However, you may rent "real" utensils, napkins, plates and have them delivered for your event (or we can arrange this for you.) Our cleaning staff must wash all "real" dishes and utensils by hand, so there will be a per person added charge to clean your rentals in preparation for pickup from the rental company. (Cost per person varies depending on what "real" items you have rented.)

Another choice you have is to purchase high end plastic plates and plastic utensils that look real. Or, you can mix, and use plastic plates and rent real utensils.

We recommend that if you decide to rent real utensils and dishes, that you consider using plastic for your dessert table. Also, we do not allow the use of real glassware for beverages.

How does payment work?

After a party proposal is generated, in order to secure your party we require a deposit.
For company parties, we can bill the final invoice on 30-day terms. For private parties, we require final payment the day of your event (usually at the end of the party). We accept cash, checks and major credit cards.

Can we have our wedding ceremony at Sea Gulls’ Nest?

Yes, you can be married on our deck. The National Park Service allows private ceremonies on the beach BEFORE Memorial Day weekend, and AFTER Labor Day weekend. Permits can be attained thru Steve Grillo at the National Park Service.

Marge's phone number is 732-872-5945

email: steve_grillo@nps.gov

How much are the outside services, such as DJs, etc.?

DJ’s cost approximately $125 per hour. A magician costs approximately $225 for a 1/2-hour show. Caricaturist costs approximately $125 per hour with a 2-hour minimum. Live musicians vary but approximately $250-$500 for 4 hours. For a list of DJs and other forms of entertainment, click here.

Can we make food substitutions?

In some instances, we can substitute certain foods for others. We do NOT substitute seafood for any regular food item on our BBQ menus. Please inquire for a specific substitution. Also, keep in mind the casual nature of our restaurant and atmosphere. We have found that the BBQ menus we offer, plus any additional Seafood items, works best for our parties.

Do you offer any less expensive parties?

We have a minimum charge of $3000 (Fridays/Saturdays), $2500 (Sundays thru Thursdays). If you have less than 40 people, you may want to inquire about an "Off The Menu" party rather than a full buffet party. (This is explained in more detail above.)

Can I get a party with ONLY alcohol and NO food?

Possibly. The price will depend on the number of guests and liquor package that you select.

Can we use the beach if we are having an evening party?

Yes. As per the Park Rules, the public is allowed to use the beach until sunset. The amount of time you can spend on the beach depends upon the time of your evening party. Some evening parties enjoy being on the beach prior to the actual start time of the party. After sunset, no one is allowed on the beach by regulation of the National Park Service.

Can we bring beverages to the beach during our daytime party?

For your beach party, we provide you with coolers filled with water & soda to bring to the beach.

Can we bring our own cake?

Yes. You can certainly bring a special cake to celebrate your event. Our Dessert Table (which comes with the BBQ Buffet) offers a wide variety of cakes, pies and cookies.

Can we bring our own alcohol to the party?

No. Due to the restrictions we have on our liquor liability insurance, we cannot allow anyone to bring their own alcoholic beverages.

Can we rent the deck and bring in an outside caterer?

No, you cannot. If there is a particular party food theme you want, or a menu item you'd like we do not have on our BBQ menus - just ask us and we will work with you on your menu. Please keep in mind the casual/beachy nature of our restaurant and location when considering food items not on our list.

Do you have any food for vegetarians?

We'd be happy to prepare some vegetarian burgers for those guests who do not eat meat. Many of our salads are vegetarian, as well as our pasta dish.

Your parties are 4 hours long. Can we go longer?

Yes! Depending on the menu and alcohol package, we will let you know how much it will cost for additional time. Parties cannot go past 11pm.

What is the maximum number of guests I can have?

For weddings and parties when everyone will be sitting and eating at the same time, the maximum number of guests is 192.

For parties where there is more mingling, and a seat for every guest at the same time is not important, the guest list can go as high as 250.