The Reeds at Shelter Haven, Stone Harbor’s chic, boutique hotel, has continued to grow since it opened its glass doors more than a decade ago. The hotel boasts two onsite restaurants, Water Star Grille and SAX at the Reeds, plus a bar behind the lobby. Buckets Magarita Bar & Cantina, a Mexican-style restaurant a few doors down, came next, followed by Salt Spa across the street, much to the delight of a plethora of preppy people who love to get pampered. Just this spring, Café Cubos, an intimate coffee shop that boasts big flavors, opened next door to Buckets.

The Reeds’ significant presence on Third Avenue between 96th and 97th streets means they have also owned and operated the Stone Harbor Pizza Pub on 96th since 2018, where The Reeds new Food and Beverage Director Nicholas DiMeglio has made some fantastic changes, all in the name of employee retention.

“My biggest goal as soon as I started here was to make sure that employees would feel like they’re a part of something bigger–that they are involved with decisions,” said DiMeglio, who spent the majority of his career with Landry’s Inc.

DiMeglio knew he wanted to develop an employee contest for “The Pub,” as it is commonly called, with a beer company, so his general manager, Henry Bromley, suggested calling Von C Brewery, a microbrewery based in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Von C was established in 2020, however, the owners are part of the Schmidt family–as in C. Schmidt & Son, whose brewing company was a mainstay in Philadelphia for well over a century until it eventually closed in 1987.

“I knew about Schmidt’s reputation—it was a big name in Philly,” said DiMeglio.

He took his food-and-beverage team on a road trip to Norristown to visit Von C to get a feel for the brewery, learn about their beers and choose one that would be featured in the contest—no small task as Von C presently sells 30 different beers. Ultimately, it was an original pilsner that Schmidt’s created in the 1800s that the team settled on.

The challenge to employees was to develop a name for the beer that fully encapsulated the property. Everyone on staff was part of the competition.

“It was very fun for all,” DiMeglio said. “But the purpose was to filter and rely on people who really want to be part of the business. It’s about feeling a sense of ownership in what you do. I am looking at the long-term picture and want to surround myself with people who care about the company like I do.”

For the big reveal, DiMeglio created an event where all employees convened to learn who won The Reeds’ beer-naming contest, which also included the unveiling of an original logo graphic for the beer.

“Paddleboard,” named by The Pub’s bartender Nick Artymowicz, was the winner.

“He is super loyal,” DiMeglio said of Artymowicz, who came up with the name because standup paddleboarders can be seen on the water just outside The Reeds, plus the hotel offers complimentary SUPs to guests as part of their amenities. “He is living and breathing this whole culture.”

DiMeglio stressed that getting employees more involved in what the company is doing and having some say in what happens is paramount to making them feel that they are part of the “thinking team.” As such, DiMeglio impresses upon them to “tell the story”—whether it’s of The Reeds in general or the new Paddleboard beer specifically.

“I want the employees to understand that it’s not about just asking customers, ‘what do you want to drink?’ It’s about telling our story,” he said. “We have our very own beer now—there’s a story! Bartender Nick named the beer—there’s a story!”

Presently on draft at five of The Reeds’ restaurants, cans of Paddleboard will be available this summer.

“Our guests spend a lot of money. I don’t want to just give them a beer,” said DiMeglio. “I want them to leave with a good story to tell their friends.”