by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
The summer season may come to an end this weekend, but that won’t hinder one beach side businessman.
Tom and Gina Baker own rentbeachstuff.com and the business rents all the gear anyone could need to enjoy a trip to the beach. One of the ways they provide these items may close this weekend, but that still leaves them with two other tools to reach customers.
“It’s been our biggest season so far,” said Tom Baker. “But I’m looking forward to the end of season. It’s been a lot of work this year.”
The company started offering its equipment through a stand on the beach last summer. It was located near Quality Suites south of the Jacksonville Beach Pier. The business added another stand near the Casa Marina Hotel this season. The beach stands will close for the season after Labor Day, but self-serve kiosks in partner hotels and delivery service will still be available.
Baker would like to see someone who has more time (his regular job is an engineer with CED Investigative Technologies) take over the business.
“I have people talk to me all the time who think it’s a great idea and want to buy the business, but nothing more than talk at this point,” said Baker. “This business needs somebody who is 100 percent dedicated to it, and I can’t do that right now.”
Baker operates two beach kiosks, five self-serve stands located at partner hotels — Comfort Inn, Quality Suites and Best Western on First Street, Holiday Inn Express on Beach Boulevard and Days Inn-Neptune Beach on Atlantic Boulevard — and a Web site.
356-2466