is that it's just what the Island has been waiting for. With a decor as casual as its name implies, The Beach is the place to head whether in search of tasty foods, exotic drinks or just a plain old good time. Located at 103 Front Street, the concept is one which its owner, Rick Olsen, has been toying with for quite a while. It's also one, which he says, is in accord with aims expressed by Tourism Minister, David Dodwell. "What I'm trying to accomplish here is along the lines of what David Dodwell is trying to do with tourism,'' he explained. "This has been an idea of mine for a while. The original idea was to have a place on the water. I think Bermuda needs a place like that and it's what tourists are looking for. Places like that where such a concept would work however, are impossible to find and so I decided to bring the beach to Front Street. I'm trying to portray the image of being at the beach.'' To achieve that effect, Mr. Olsen hired a local artist to cover the restaurant walls with murals depicting the ocean, the sand and the surf. Brilliant blues and pinks make the indoor scene a realistic one and the effect is heightened by the surf boards and brightly coloured picnic tables which are scattered through the interior. "It's a totally new concept. Nobody's offered anything like this on the Island before,'' said Paul Sofianos, night manager at The Beach. Added Mr. Olsen: "Customers will get something different from the usual pub scene; something more bright, more airy and more upbeat, something that will be reflected in our aggressive `Beach' specials. Our bartenders and waitresses will be wearing beach attire -- flip flops and casual clothing.'' Involved in the hospitality industry for most of his life, Mr. Olsen was part owner of the Robin Hood Pub and Restaurant for four years and, for the past two years has been part owner of M.R. Onions. "I'm now here alone,'' he said.

"And I'm very excited to finally get the place open. It's exactly what I wanted, a casual, beach-type atmosphere. We're a gourmet delicatessen. Our menu is on the light and healthy side. There will be lots of soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas and some chicken. If people want a grand affair they can go to Port O' Call, if they want to have a good night, with good food, good friends and a good time, this is the place to come.'' The daytime menu will be geared towards business people working in the area and locals, he said, while an afternoon swizzle party is aimed directly at the tourists. "The whole concept is one by myself and Gillian Thieding,'' he said. "We intend to have a daily swizzle party for tourists from Monday to Thursday from 2.30 p.m. on leading in to Happy Hour at 5 p.m. and we're trying to obtain the services of a steel drum player for that period. And what we want to highlight, at all times, are our tropical drinks, fancy drinks and frozen drinks, things people associate with the beach.'' Added Mr. Sofianos: "One of our house specialties will be a frozen `Dark-n-Stormy'. We're the first on the Island, as far as I know, to offer that. It's something that I've been playing with for a year or so and finally got the right recipe and we're just hoping it will take off.'' Although happy with The Beach thus far, there is one touch necessary to make the beach atmosphere complete, said Mr. Olsen, Bermuda pink sand. "We want to have pink Bermuda sand as our floor and we're now working on that,'' he said,"but I'm pretty happy with the final product. We're trying to have a young, vibrant staff to add to the atmosphere. In the future we intend to experiment with local entertainment, but presently we'll just have our juke box playing old time Reggae, and the `Top 40' of the day. "We'll probably be the most inexpensive place on Front Street. I think Bermuda needs a change. I support what the Minister of Tourism is doing and hope that this is a place he approves of and the Department of Tourism appreciates. We only need so many English pubs on this Island. The Beach is a place for everyone -- locals and tourists.'' The Beach, at 103 Front Street, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. with food available from noon to 12 a.m. PHOTO The Beach, at 103 Front Street The Beach staff (back left) Alphonso Harris, Paul Sofianos, Tereza Glondenis, and Clive Hook. Front from left Rick Olsen, Kate Bryan, Michelle Correia, Trisha Cooke and Gillian Theiding Owner Rick Olsen and Gillian Thieding came up with the concept for The Beach, Bermuda's newest restaurant and bar