TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Opening of New Restaurants on Orient

The old post is getting long so I thought I would start a new thread for the contest. The challenge is to pick the week (starting with a Monday) that the first establishment would open (as defined by serving food or drink for money). The reward is a free drink at the Perch ($10). Below is the list of guesses with the first listed for a given date having priority for the prize.

10/5/15
10/12/15 ChunkyDunkin DavidinChelseaMA
10/19/15
10/26/15 fabila BeachKitten
11/2/15 DICKG islandgem Margarita
11/9/15 Biturbo leslieridler louise
11/16/15 Petwa Carol_Hill Ted_n_Jan
11/23/15 SXMScubaman bdeeley jmbcomms
11/30/15 thesimpsons JohnandBev
12/7/15 sxmdoc Vikki52
12/14/15 gotaluvit TravelHat chiaoo
12/21/15 CampJimmy
12/28/15 jeepers sxmojo
1/4/16
1/11/16
1/18/16 DanNJessica
1/25/16
2/1/16
2/8/16 madg1108
2/15/16 mahokid beechbumms
2/22/16
2/29/16 Monty
3/7/16
3/14/16 gracie105
3/21/16
3/28/16 BGH
4/4/16
4/11/16 SeaStar
4/18/16
4/25/16 biglar

Additional guesses are welcome!

Howdy from the Burgh.
I pick 12/28/2015 and even if I don't win, I'll still drink at The Perch everyday next February. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Ok, I'll pick 1/4/16. Happy New Year!

So does the person win who picks the closest date without going over the actual retail date or is it the closest on either side of the opening date?

My understanding is that you pick a week (Mon-Sun) and the date you give the OP is the Monday of this week.

May see you at the Perch in February!

Sounds good to me. See ya there! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

I'll take 1/11/2016. Would have taken 1/4, but Pony600 beat me to it!!!

If there is a tie... Do we spin the wheel???

gotaluvit,

If you win I'll buy your drink. Only thing is we don't arrive on island until 2/1/16, so couldn't leave the money with Willie until then.

I looked at the previous post again because I didn't think I picked the same date as someone else. Mahokid shows that he picked January 12th (which would maybe be January 11th?) You might need to double check with him. I don't mind sharing the winnings though <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Thanks! Won't be a problem since we don't leave until February 4!

Hey y'all! We're on record as saying early 2016, so we'll take March 21st. Got a vested interest - we'll be there 3/25 - 4/3, so we sure hope its a go by then!

Perfect!!

Checking out all the pics on other sites, seems like March 2016 is looking VERY good! Optimistically!

Walked down by construction on 13th. Five of the units are sheet rocked and taping looked to be complete. Still lots of work to do both on buildings and grounds prep. Guess I lost my place in line.
Club O beach is in great shape, not super wide but from Papagayo's north easy two rows of chairs, narrowing to one row approaching the Perch.
Nice slope into the water with a small step about waist deep. No sargassam at all and a very small presence of seagrass. Water warm and very clear.

I don't know about March 2016 but based on the most recent pictures, an opening in 2015 is very unlikely. Here are 2 pictures taken yesterday and posted on a Facebook page. The 1st pic shows the most advanced units in the project. The second pic shows the least advanced ones.
People, draw your own conclusions.

Chunky--If you're still on island, would love for you to post some pictures.

Carol -- Doug will be on the island for quite a few more weeks, lucky guy!

OK, good, hope he can keep us updated here!

From these two pictures alone, it appears that progress has slowed. For those who have built homes you know how fast things happen at the end when the contractor can smell that check. Not saying we are that far along, yet...

One more from yesterday

Sand gravity--ugghhh. Lounge, cooler, water, back to lounge, into cooler again, repeat. Made it as far as blue umbrellas today.
Chris n Paul just showed up.
Gotta go.

Yes, get that sand gravity, for sure!! But have some pity for those of us stuck at home!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I will take 1-4-16 <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Ohhhh that last pic does not look good. Notice the water has almost taken the seaweed to the sea wall. Afraid what we have seen at other locations on Orient, the rock sea wall in front of Perdos and Papagayos, the result has been less sand in front of those locations. Don't like sea walls they change the dynamic of the natural movement of sand once the water makes it to the wall.

Have seen the same type of erosion in Playa del Carmen. Unintended consequences. What goes in front of the new establishments will undoubtable have some unfavorable consequences somewhere else on the beach.
Walkig by the other day I saw several of the beach fence posts that were already undermined.
Will TRY <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> to overcome sand gravity tomorrow and take another walk tomorrow up that way.
Just as an update, this am a very little sargassum on the Club O beach section. Not remotely enough to cause any problem. Only limited sea grass floating in the surf.
Beautiful day on the beach.

OK folks, here is an updated list...not looking good for October or November picks but who knows... We still have some early 2016 picks available!

10/5/15
10/12/15 ChunkyDunkin DavidinChelseaMA
10/19/15
10/26/15 fabila BeachKitten
11/2/15 DICKG islandgem Margarita
11/9/15 Biturbo leslieridler louise
11/16/15 Petwa Carol_Hill Ted_n_Jan
11/23/15 SXMScubaman bdeeley jmbcomms
11/30/15 thesimpsons JohnandBev
12/7/15 sxmdoc Vikki52
12/14/15 gotaluvit TravelHat chiaoo
12/21/15 CampJimmy
12/28/15 jeepers sxmojo plequerre
1/4/16 pony600 bigbobthib
1/11/16 Alaskan
1/18/16 DanNJessica
1/25/16
2/1/16
2/8/16 madg1108
2/15/16 mahokid beechbumms
2/22/16
2/29/16 Monty
3/7/16
3/14/16 gracie105
3/21/16 DandM2812
3/28/16 BGH
4/4/16
4/11/16 SeaStar
4/18/16
4/25/16 biglar

OK, hopefully someone on island will post some updated pictures soon!

OK,
10/12/15 ChunkyDunkin DavidinChelseaMA you guys are out
10/26/15 fabila BeachKitten not looking good
11/2/15 DICKG islandgem Margarita definitely on life support
11/9/15 Biturbo leslieridler louise hope springs eternal
11/16/15 Petwa Carol_Hill Ted_n_Jan ehh...they need to get on a horse

Ok - I am aiming for 2/12/16 - we arrive that day and it would be great if something was open before valentines day??!

Hoping for 2/14/16!

This construction just ain't fun anymore. These poor restaurant owners, staff, the shop owners and staff, now have been shut out of their livelihood for either almost or over SIX months now. I do hope they are all doing okay...and hope they get back to work ASAP. This project is costing these folks a ridiculous amount of lost revenue. People like Cheryl, who I know was planning on reopening...now I hear she isn't. She saw her years of hard work go right down the drain, by being closed for so long...and I am sure the other seven restaurants, and retailers are in the same boat. It is a TRAVESTY that the collective(sp) has had these people closed for more than double the time that they originally told them....and now we are less than a week from ''Season'', and looking at the pictures sure seem they are still at least a couple of months away from opening. It's sad. Progress is one thing.....but at what price??? Wishing all those involved here the best of everything, and hope they can get back to their lives real soon.

Well, no, it hasn't been six months yet, anyway.. They were closed around the middle of June. So far, four months. Anyone have any new pictures or updates?

These 2 pics were taken last week from what the FB poster wrote.

Actual construction started the first week of August so we are coming up on 3 months. I think the original estimate was for 4 months of construction so end of November? Seems optimistic. It does appear that the first unit is nearly done including the foundations for the awnings shown in the original renderings.

what are those concrete square pads for? The feet for a wooden deck/boardwalk?

does look like at least a couple weeks of feverish work. I guess they'll all be open by Christmas.

Deck pads most likely. The first two are coming right along. I wonder if they will let them open or will they have to wait for the one down the end to be completed.

End of Nov, even for the most advanced units, seems optimistic to me too considering that the exterior is not completed and the interior is just a shell.
We'll see when they'll be able to serve their first meal/drink.

We're here now. They had at least a dozen people working on the units yesterday. Its been raining a lot lately, so that alone could cause delays, but at least when the weather cooperates, they are working.