Mediterranean restaurant Olive by the Bay opens in Vibes’ old location on the Peninsula

A former Downey mayor and a Downey restaurateur originally from Egypt have combined to open an all-in-one Mediterranean restaurant on the Peninsula.

Olive by the Bay officially opened at the beginning of May on 62nd Place north of Ocean Boulevard, a short distance from Horny Corner and Bay Shore Avenue. The building previously housed Vibes, an American bistro that closed late last year.

Co-owner Rick Rodriguez, the former mayor of Downey, described the food offerings as “American food with a Mediterranean flare.”

The expansive menu includes appetizers like sweet and spicy shrimp, triple cheese rolls and crispy cauliflower along with a wide variety of breakfast offerings, kabobs, sandwiches and desserts. Beer, wine and mixed drinks are also available with $8 house wines and $8 margaritas during happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The restaurant space essentially contains four food serving options in one, Rodriguez said. A mini cafe sits in the front portion of the restaurant, while the back portion can be booked for private parties after the restaurant closes daily at 5 p.m.

The restaurant also offers catering and will be providing food for the concert series at Alamitos Park held by the Peninsula Neighborhood Association.

Rodriguez has owned a home on the peninsula for over 15 years and one of his seven children serves on the Peninsula Beach Preservation Group. When his daughter told him the former Vibes property was for sale, he said he knew exactly who he wanted to open the business with.

During his time as mayor of Downey, Rodriguez met co-owner Sam Sarofeem when he needed help with the process of expanding his restaurant, The Original Green Olive, which opened in Downey in 2012. The two have been friends for over 10 years and Sarofeem now operates a second location in Downey, The Olive RestoBar in the Downey Landing shopping complex.

Sarofeem said customer service is his biggest focus at Olive by the Bay. Before working at the new Peninsula restaurant, all employees are required to train for 10 days at The Original Green Olive in order to learn each step of the food serving and preparation process.

He has also carried over little details from his two other restaurants, such as having smaller water cups to ensure that waiters visit the table twice as often and ask about the customer’s experience.

Wine options include smaller bottles containing about two glasses of wine should patrons want to split a smaller quantity than a full-size bottle.

Sarofeem splits his time between the three Olive locations and has been known to fill in as a dishwasher or with kitchen prep when an employee calls in sick.

His two children, now both attending Cal State Long Beach, were brought up helping out in the restaurant.

Rodriguez and Sarofeem are still smoothing out some downsides, such as lack of parking and spotty cell reception inside the restaurant.

“We’re fortunate right now that the majority of our clientele are walking, biking or using a rideshare,” Rodriguez said. The restaurant is currently negotiating with the owner of an adjacent parking lot and reviewing the possibility of adding a valet parking option.

Plans to improve cell phone service are also in the works.

Sarofeem would also like to make it possible for boaters to place to-go orders from a phone and hitch their boats in the nearby marina to come pick up the order.

“Right now we’re doing a good job crawling and we’re almost ready to walk,” Rodriguez said.

Olive by the Bay is at 76 1/2 62nd Place and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.