One day in late summer of 2021, Zach DeBay and his father, Rick, decided to grab a bite to eat at a restaurant overlooking scenic Long Pond on the spot where the Club Fleur de Lis stood for several decades.
A year later, they own the place.
“We heard it was possibly for sale, and we were in the right place at the right time,” Zach says. “The first time we came in, we saw a vision for the property. We didn’t feel it was being utilized to what we saw as its best potential.”
The first order of business was changing the name of the restaurant. The Sandbar Beach Club opened in late July and is fast becoming a popular lakeside destination.
Rick owns a construction and plumbing business, and he was looking for a business he and his sons, Zach and Deven, could run together. Zach, 22, recently graduated from Assumption College with a marketing degree, while Deven, 21, is entering his senior year at the University of Tampa majoring in entrepreneurship.
“My dad wanted something we could do as a family,” Zach says.
The club literally stands on the Dracut-Tyngsborough line. Its address, 39 Elm Street, is in Tyngsborough, but Dracut holds the liquor license for the establishment. Most of the beach and pond area lies in Dracut.
It’s that beach and pond area that distinguishes The Sandbar from other establishments, providing year-round entertainment for members.
And that’s the other thing that distinguishes The Sandbar. You must be a member or a guest to use the facility. There are several levels of membership, each with its own amenities. (Visit www.sandbarbeachclub.net/memberships for full information.) They include (prices are initial opening prices and could change):
** Trial: $3.50 for one week.
** Value: $10 per year.
** Silver: $100 for one, $150 for two, $200 for a family.
** Gold: $150 for one, $250 for two, $350 for a family. (Gold memberships are limited and will soon not be available for purchase.)
You can go for lunch or dinner, and then enjoy swimming, lying on the beach, kayaking or taking a paddleboat for a spin. Cornhole and other games are available, and The Sandbar Beach Club boasts four private cabanas with full food and bar service that can be rented for $100 per hour. There is also limo service, which is one of the many perks of the Gold membership.
“We want to make it family-friendly, someplace everyone can enjoy,” Zach says.
And it won’t end when summer ends. The Sandbar will be open for dining, both indoor and outdoor, in the winter months.
The Sandbar Beach Club’s logo is a lighthouse that has become somewhat of a DeBay family symbol. The family has an island lake house on Lake Winnisquam. Rick had a lighthouse built at the home, then asked the builder to duplicate it – only bigger -- for the club.
For more information, visit www.sandbarbeachclub.net.