SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 | 11A
The Beachcomber brings on the brew
Editor’s Note: The Beachcomber and all Oregon restaurants are following
COVID-19 mandates about dining in and taking out. Under Gov. Kate Brown’s
Executive Order 20-65, the state is in a minimum two-week freeze, which lim-
its restaurants to delivery and take-out only beginning Nov. 18.
Story & Photos
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
B
eachcomber Pub, 1355 Bay St.,
is one of Florence’s oldest and
most popular pubs and restaurants.
Located in Historic Old Town,
the “Comber” — as locals refer to
the business — offers customers
award winning burgers, acclaimed
clam chowder and one of the larg-
est selections of microbrews on tap
on the Oregon coast.
Scott Waiss has been the owner
of the Beachcomber for 15 years.
During that time, he has overseen
the expansion of the pub’s micro-
brew offerings, the rise in popu-
larity of hard ciders, seltzers and
high-end spirits, and major shifts
in the economy.
In addition, Scott and his daugh-
ter Melissa, who manages the
Beachcomber, have had to adapt
to major shifts in the model that
has proven to be successful for the
family owned and operated restau-
rant and Bar.
The COVID-19 pandemic has
proven to be the most daunting
obstacle to the Weiss family busi-
ness and most challenging. The
Beachcomber has had to recon-
figure its business model to adapt
The Beachcomber Pub is owned and managed by father-daughter
duo (from right) Scott and Melissa Waiss. Florence’s oldest pub con-
tinues to offer food and drinks to visitors and locals alike during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
to the COVID-related restrictions
imposed on eating establishments
by state officials.
For Scott and Melissa, the re-
duction in seating capacity has
been one of the most financially
challenging changes. However, the
Waisses are fortunate, as they have
a large room at the back of the es-
tablishment which has been mod-
ified to incorporate the distance
and seating requirements currently
mandated by the state.
Scott also purchased new tables
and chairs, removing old surfaces
that were more likely to retain bac-
teria.
“Having fewer seats available
in our main seating area has been
offset by the changes we made to
our back room,” he said. “We used
to just use it for special events and
meetings, but now we have dis-
tanced the tables and we added
some new televisions back there,
so we can accommodate up to
two groups of 10 people each back
there with no problem.”
The safety of staff and customers
has always been a top priority for
the Waisses, and their employees
are very familiar with the cleaning
and seating requirements created
by the Oregon Health Authority
and strictly monitor seating for
customers.
The addition of new video moni-
tors and satellite TVs makes for the
perfect place for Duck and Beaver
fans to congregate for games when
dining inside the restaurant is an
option.
The menu at the Beachcomber
has also undergone changes in the
past few months as the Waisses and
their chefs have reduced the num-
ber of items available, while retain-
ing their most popular dishes.
“We have decreased the size of
our menu, but have kept our burg-
ers, especially our signature burg-
ers like our Jameson Whiskey ba-
con cheeseburger, our Angus beef
sliders and of course, our fish and
chips,” Scott said.
When breakfast is available,
people can select omelets, French
toast, biscuits and gravy and coun-
try fried steak.
The menu move was made in
part due to the ingredients avail-
able from the Beachcomber’s
distributors, many of which had
shifted attention to grocery stores
during shutdowns earlier this year.
In addition, some of the menu
changes were made for practical
reasons involving increased food
loss costs.
It was also important to keep
customer favorites.
The Beachcomber menu can be
accessed at www.beachcomberpub.
com and www.facebook.com/the
beachcomberpub. This includes
information on the wide assort-
ment of microbrews and ciders of-
fered from unique distributers like
Bandon Rain, 10 Barrell Brewing,
Three Creeks Brewing Company
and Boneyard Beer.
The history of the Beachcomber
also plays a part in the popularity
of the restaurant, as the pub has
been operating continuously since
1936. The names and faces may
have changed in the intervening
years, but the sense of spending
time in a true local pub has re-
mained the same.
Scott and Melissa intend to con-
tinue that trend into the future.
The “Comber” continues to
be a spot where locals raise a
glass. Even during COVID-19 re-
strictions when dining in is an
option, business owners, working
families and visitors sit socially
distanced, but still side by side.