Ch.7 – Boardwalk Restaurant & Bandshell

Boardwalk Restaurant and Bandshell
The Jones Beach Boardwalk Restaurant located in the Central Mall was the hub of activity for decades. The original restaurant of the 1930s was built by Depression-era relief workers. After a fire in 1964, the building was replaced in 1966 by a Modernist structure designed by Skidmore Owings and Merill (SOM). Forty years later around 2004-5, it was demolished to make way for real estate magnate Donald Trump’s luxury restaurant and catering operation, Trump on the Ocean. Due to controversy, political turmoil and litigation, construction of this new facility has not yet begun and the site remains fenced off from the boardwalk.
During and after World War II, military personnel were welcomed home at the Boardwalk Bandshell. For years, the Boardwalk Bandshell offered beachgoers free concerts in the summertime. It was originally located to the east of the Central Mall and was moved to its current location on the west side.