By Ben Lakes

If Brian Hunter, part owner of the new Beach Bums Bar and Grill on 17th Street, had his way, sand would cover his floors and lead a trail from his restaurant to the beach. "I just don't know what the Health Department would have to say about that," he laughs, "but that's my shtick, a casual place where you can sit and eat dinner, have some drinks, and listen to acoustic music."
Casual to Beach Bums doesn't equate to the run-of-the-mill "dark and dingy" neighborhood bar. The d*cor involves light, inviting colors, soft lighting as trimmings, a picture window for a view of the oceanfront atmosphere. "We're trying to be a restaurant with a bar," explains Hunter. "Being this close to the beach, we don't know if we are going to stay open all year long or not, but we would love to. That is why we are trying to appeal to the locals. We've created Bum Bucks that are strictly geared to locals, and we honor employee I.D. cards from the local hotels and businesses; both offer savings for your frequent visits here. If locals come in to patronize me, I want to give back and do something for them."
After presenting my local I.D. and paying only a dollar to park in the Municipal Lot a block away, my dining partner and I made our way to Beach Bums. I ordered one of the house specials, appropriately named "The Big Ass Burger." In my opinion by being a simple man, a good burger should be plain with a slice of cheese, and that is all that the Big Ass Burger required. My dining partner went a little fancier and ordered the "Beach Burger," which is a burger marinated in teriyaki with a slice of pineapple. A heaping helping Old Bay spiced fries came on the side.
"Whatever you're looking for, I'm gonna give it to you and then some," says Hunter. "So far, I've been tweaking the menu (we've change twice already since we officially opened July 11) to suit the tastes of my patrons. But, the one thing that we don't ever plan on changing is our sizable portions. We want to give you you're money's worth by eating here." After dinner, my dining partner and I leaned back in our chairs, adjusted the draw strings in our shorts, and sipped our drinks, being fully satisfied.
Even though this is Hunter's first establishment, he comes to Virginia Beach with years of experience in the food service business. Hailing from upstate New York, Hunter found himself in Maryland, Pittsburgh, and in Richmond to learn all aspects of the business. "I've been looking the last 3 to 4 years to open my own place. But when the catering service of the Richmond Convention Center was taken over by a larger company, Hunter decided to move on and try his own place.
Everything happens for a reason, Hunter believes, because soon after the take over, the location on 17th Street opened up. "This place just fell into my lap," he exclaims. "I just couldn't pass up the opportunity." And, hopefully, locals will take the opportunity to check out the newest Beach Bum on the block. Also, if you're a small acoustic act, take the opportunity to book yourself in one of the nicest additions to the area (ask for Brian or Becky).