East Hampton Village announced via social media this week that the current occupant of the village-owned concession at the Main Beach pavilion, Susan Seekamp’s Beach Hut on Main, won the bid to continue operating for five more years.
David Hart, a co-owner of the village restaurants Smokey Buns and Kumiso, had offered a similar amount for the lease, but also an 8-percent profit-sharing agreement.
“The Village Board of Trustees liked David Hart’s presentation a lot and it too offered a great vision for Main Beach’s concession,” said Marcos Baladron, the village administrator. “Ultimately, the board didn’t want the village to be a ‘partner’ with a tenant at Main Beach, and the percentage of profit was not something they seriously considered. At the end, we were receiving multiple emails, texts, and calls per day from village and town residents in support of Susan Seekamp’s bid.”
As reported in September, Ms. Seekamp bid $133,300 for the lease. Over the course of five years, she’ll pay slightly more each year.
The village’s social media posts were quickly flooded with more activity than any other post by the village since the middle of the summer.
“We’re absolutely thrilled,” said Amanda Seekamp in a text, serving as a spokeswoman for her mother. (She also helps run the concession.)
“My mom is so excited for another season. She wants to thank all her customers and friends for writing letters to the village and supporting her. My mom has been doing this business for almost 40 years now and she absolutely loves it. She is the hardest working woman I know, and she does it with a smile on her face every day. Nobody can run that business like her and the village made a great decision.”
“Sue has done a great job at the Beach Hut on Main,” East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen said in a text. “She has built a huge following during the last five years and we wish her much success during the next five years.”
This season, the Beach Hut will be open for just a few more days — through Sunday, if weather allows. It will reopen in May 2026.