Pismo Pier doesn’t have bait shop for first time in nearly 90 years. Here’s what’s on the way
For the first time in almost 90 years, Pismo Beach’s iconic pier doesn’t have a bait shack on it.
The city started an $8.7 million renovation of the aging pier in 2017, and at that time, decided to move the existing bait shop — officially named Sheldon’s Clamstand, but known to most as “the bait shack” — off of the structure and into the plaza area.
Once the pier’s rehabilitation was completed in late 2018, the shack remained in the plaza.
City officials planned to replace the old building with a pair of vintage Airstream trailers — one for the bait shop plus expanded food and drink options, and another for the city’s transportable visitors’ information booth.
The city and the owners of the bait shop were unable to come to a new agreement on moving over to the new trailer however, and have instead decided to part ways, Pismo Beach management services director Jorge Garcia told The Tribune.
Garcia said the city is “continuing to have conversations about relocating the bait shack” to another location in the city, but that ”right now, there is no bait shack that is anticipated” on the pier.
In the meantime, the old building was demolished, marking the end of an era for many.
“Sad to see,” Bill Bookout of Pismo Beach Surf Shop told The Tribune. “A lot of memories as a kid.”
Bookout posted several photos and videos of the demolition to Facebook on Oct. 15, with many reacting to the news with sadness.
“I miss funky old Pismo,” one commenter wrote.
Bait shack has a long Pismo Beach history
The bait shop has been a fixture in the area almost since the pier’s creation, though the exact dates are a little unclear.
According to Tribune files, the most recent structure was built in 1966, by then-owner Dave Stratton.
Stratton owned Dave’s Bait and Tackle Shop on the pier until around 1974, when it was purchased by Blair Sheldon, and renamed the Sheldon Clamstand.
According to a 1966 Telegram-Tribune story on the shop’s renovation, the previous bait shack was built sometime around 1931, though other estimates place its construction in 1927.
For reference, much of the pier we know today was built in 1924, as a replacement for an even older pier from the late 1800s.
In a Facebook post Sept. 26 ahead of the shop’s closure, the Sheldon’s Clamstand owners thanked customers for their years of dedication.
“We are sad to think of so many families that come out to rent rods and enjoy an affordable family activity that will not be available,” read the post.
What happens next?
The city is planning to move forward on the two trailers idea sans a bait shop, according to Garcia.
One of the trailers will instead be dedicated to serving food and drinks, including beer and wine.
According to the most recent RFP, the city is looking for “a qualified restauranteur to equip, operate and maintain an Airstream Food Truck and provide related services which will include food preparation, beer and wine sales on the Pismo Beach Pier.”
Rent plus a percentage of gross sales would go to the city. According to the RFP, the minimum annual rent would be $24,000.
Garcia said he anticipates the food trailer could be operational “sometime this year.”
This story was originally published October 25, 2019 at 4:45 AM.
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