MYRTLE BEACH -- The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk is open.
The city's plan was to open the Boardwalk in mid May, but an early Easter surprise came Friday as leaders announced part of the boardwalk would open this weekend.
It’s a day Ocean Front Bar and Grill owner Russ Stalvey has been waiting for for six years, an opportunity to raise the doors of his restaurant to people walking along the new Myrtle Beach Boardwalk.
"They surprised us, you know,” said Stalvey. “This place wasn't supposed to be open until later on in May, but the construction crews and the city both did a great job going at it real hard for the last three weeks, trying to get it opened for Easter."
The city did, opening nearly a mile of the 1.2 mile long boardwalk.
"I think we'll probably be able to put about 100 extra people outside all the way around the building," said Stalvey.
The early announcement that the boardwalk was opening came as a surprise to many people.
Some people on the strip had no idea that just one block away, the boardwalk was open for public access."
”No I didn't even know there was one there,” one lady from North Carolina said.
Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea said the surprise open was kept quiet, simply because city leaders wanted to make sure everything was in place before announcing it.
"We opened it early because we could,” said Kruea. “We were very pleased. The contractor had made great progress. The weather cooperated through the winter. We have most of it ready to go. There’s no reason not to let people go enjoy the boardwalk, particularly for the Easter weekend."
That’s exactly what some people did at the Ocean Front Bar and Grill.
A basket of fried seafood with live music, Stalvey said, is the perfect combination after a stroll outside on the newly opened Boardwalk.
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