Beach bar, games coming to The Deck at Muskegons Pere Marquette Park – MLive.com

MUSKEGON, MI -- Visitors this summer to Muskegons Pere Marquette Park will be able to enjoy a drink while they stroll the beach sands.

Thats because The Deck, the lakefront BBQ joint and bar located at 1601 Beach Street, is expanding to include about 12,000 feet of beach property.

The fenced-in beach area will house volleyball and bocce ball courts, as well as cornhole and other games. It will also boast an outdoor bar and a stage, both housed in shipping containers.

People want a fun place on the beach to just hang out, and thats what were going to give them, said co-owner Fred Scharmer.

The Deck, which opened in summer 2014, is a popular spot at Pere Marquette for tourists and residents.

Its current seating capacity totals 325, and thats just not cutting it anymore, Scharmer said.

On any 80-degree Saturday, we have 150 people waiting, if not more, he said.

With the expansion, The Deck will have about 85 more restaurant seats and standing capacity in the beach area at around 900 people.

Rather than waiting around for a table to open up, patrons will be able to occupy their time with a drink, a stroll on the sand and a game or two, Scharmer said. The ability to have an area for people who only want drinks will also alleviate some restaurant seating congestion.

The beach area stage will host a variety of music acts each Thursday through Sunday. Scharmer said his team put a lot of thought and effort into pulling talent from the surrounding areas, including Chicago, Ohio and Detroit.

The acts will range in genre and include reggae, country, cover bands and more.

The City of Muskegon leases the property to The Deck. City officials were not able to immediately provide the current lease rate paid by The Deck. An amended lease with the included beach area expansion is being worked out, city officials said.

Scharmer said he hopes to have the expanded beach area ready for patrons by Memorial Day.

The expanded restaurant isnt the only change possibly coming to Pere Marquette Park. City leaders are considering charging motorists $5 to $7 to park at the beach.

Under the proposal, residents would be exempt from paying. It wasnt immediately clear if The Deck patrons would also have to pay for parking under the proposal.

The Deck is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. In 2017, it was ranked among the best beach bars in America by Thrillist, a digital publication focused on food, drink and travel.

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Beach bar, games coming to The Deck at Muskegons Pere Marquette Park - MLive.com