There’s a new reason to stop by City Hall in Atlantic City, and it’s to grab a cup of coffee and bite to eat. Mayor Marty Small, Sr. celebrated the grand opening of the Great Day Café in the building’s lobby with a ribbon cutting.
Managed by the local small business Beat the Daily Grind Café, this new concession stand offers coffee, snacks and grab-and-go breakfast and lunch items, providing City Hall employees and visitors with a convenient option to enjoy a meal or beverage. The Great Day Café is now open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We all work in an extremely stressful environment, and my administration is going to do our part to make sure our employees, along with our residents, are making healthy choices,” said Mayor Small. “As a visionary leader, I’m completely changing the culture at City Hall, and by offering services like the Great Day Café, we are making City Hall a place the public should be proud of.”
The Great Day Café is the brainchild of City of Atlantic City Health & Human Services Director Jarrod Barnes. His capstone project through the City’s Certified Public Manager (CPM) program focused on bringing more nutritious food options to City Hall.
“Healthy living is a priority under the Small Administration, and this new café is a great reflection of that commitment,” said Barnes. “We want to provide our employees and City Hall visitors with healthier food options through this concession area while also creating an opportunity for a local small business to grow.”
City officials, members of City Council, City employees and guests gathered for Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, with members of council and project representatives offering remarks during the program. Beat the Daily Grind Café was the sole respondent to the City’s Request for Proposals for a concessionaire and was awarded the contract to operate the café.
Great Day Café occupies a previously unused ground-floor space that was renovated and expanded for the project. Weatherby Construction Company served as the project contractor, and Arthur Ponzio Co. provided engineering services and oversaw the project, working closely with the City’s Department of Public Works. This is part of a series of interior and exterior improvements to City Hall. New flooring was installed throughout the City Hall lobby over the holiday weekend, while exterior enhancements were completed over the summer through a painting project on the South Carolina and Tennessee Avenue sides of the building. Last month, City Hall was also dedicated in honor of the late Ernest D. Coursey, Sr.
