The Beacon is open, business as usual in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - No, the Beacon Bar and Grill is not closed. The question has been asked all through town over the last several days, most likely due to the concession process for Camp Richarson through the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU).

Granger-Thye Concession special use permits are issued for those doing business on Forest Service land for a pre-determined number of years. In 2022, the permit process started for Meeks Bay, Zephyr Cove Resort, and Camp Richardson due to their permits expiring. In July, LTBMU announced the previous operators at Meeks Bay and Zephyr Cove were awarded new permits starting November 1, but a new company was chosen for Camp Richardson - Advenco, LLC.

The current Camp Richardson operator had 45 days to appeal the LTBMU decision and the review process is underway as an appeal has been received. In the meantime, it's business as usual.

The Beacon is open seven days a week with music on Saturdays and the outdoor deck is open.

In the LTBMU Granger-Thye Concession prospectus for Camp Richardson, there were 85 pages of overview and requirements that needed to be addressed by those competing for the new permit.

In that document, the following was listed as required facility improvements for the Beacon:

Beacon Bar and Grill - Though the Beacon Bar and Grill offers high-quality dining and beverages to visitors, it is operating under the restrictive conditions and limited space of the current structure. The following facility improvement will be required to be accomplished by the new permit holder within the first five years of the permit term, unless the approval process requires more than five years. The permittee may propose facility replacement as an alternative to renovation.

- Upgrade commercial kitchen facilities to meet current public health and safety codes and standards.
- Upgrade/remodel kitchen to accommodate all food preparation and food management indoors in safe and sanitary condition. No outdoor preparation or storage of food will be permitted.
- Upgrade facilities to current building code standards.
- Replace kitchen floors.
- Provide ABA-compliant access.
- All improvement plans will be reviewed and authorized by the Forest Service. Where applicable, local county building permits may be required.

The contents of the Advenco, LLC is not available at this time.

Some of the rumors have stated the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) was shutting down the Beacon. This is not accurate. While the above changes are required, it is a requirement of the Forest Service and the TRPA has stated there are no requests by them to have the building shut down, torn down or relocated. Future building permits would be looked at by the agency and their role comes at that time.