The long wait is almost over. River’s End Café, on the sand near the jetty in Seal Beach, closed on Feb. 20, 2018 after 20 years in business. But in 18 weeks, The Beach House, a new $1.5 million restaurant, with a full bar and live music, will open.

It’s brought to life by business partners Rosie Ritchie, a local realtor, and former O’Malley’s Pub owner Brian Kyle. It’s slated to open in the last week of August.

“We signed our lease in March of 2018 and we’ve just received our permit. We had to clear the California Coastal Commission, wetlands (regulations), so many studies, so many reports, but we are happy to say we have finally gotten through all of that,” said Ritchie.

“It’s a very big move, a little scary, but if it wasn’t on the sand, I probably wouldn’t have done it; the Coastal Commission has confirmed that there’s not even a dozen restaurants in California resting on the sand.”

The complete renovation by Hatch Design Group will result in an approximately 2,200-square foot restaurant with seating for about 160 diners at tables inside and on the patio. Clam shell windows can be open to let in the ocean breezes or shut so that service can continue inside during inclement weather.

The color palette will include blues, the exterior will be painted white, and the roof will be red. “The red tin roof. That’s going to be our mark, our brand,” Ritchie said.

The owners are not yet ready to announce the chef but the restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and the menu will include beachy items such as burgers and fries, and healthful choices, such as salads and vegan items. Get ready for chicken pot pie, beet salad and skillet cornbread.

There will be room to hold special events like weddings, anniversaries, baby showers and family gatherings. “Our doors will always be open, allowing for memorable celebrations,” said Kyle. (Call Ritchie to book those at 562-810-0078.)

Ritchie says her new project is a leap of faith but will be well worth the wait, which took extra long during the pandemic. “It’s been four years on the journey to get here. So yeah, we’ve had our times where we’ve asked ourselves, ‘What are we doing?’” she said. “But we are super blessed to be here today and finally doing the construction and we know it’s going to be successful. The city’s been great. They gave us a beautiful lease for 20 years.”

Find it: 15 1st St., Seal Beach.

Open: Regular hours will begin when restaurant opens in late August. 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

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