What happened?
Kemah City Council unanimously approved the $200,000 loan for Tookie’s Hamburgers at its July 16 meeting.
Before the City Council vote, the Kemah Community Development Corporation approved the loan at its July 15 meeting, provided that each dollar of the loan paid to Tookie's will be matched by Tookie's before payment. Tookie’s will also have to adhere to city ordinances overseeing the use of local vendors.
Why it matters
This funding will assist Tookie’s in expanding its restaurant with an additional 1,000 square feet of outdoor patio space, including a Palapa cover, a bar and other improvements, Kemah Mayor Robin Collins said in a social media post.
The expansion will add approximately 20 new tables and include upgrades such as new televisions, an improved sound system and a dedicated stage for live music. The additional space will allow for a 20% to 30% increase in seating capacity, according to the post.
The backstory
In June, the Seabrook Economic Development Corporation approved awarding $600,000 to Tookie's to incentivize the restaurant to return to the city; however, owner Barry Terrell ultimately declined the offer, citing challenges with the scale and logistics of moving operations back to Seabrook, Community Impact previously reported.
