Grand Benders

Cocos opens full time on Canada Day/4TH of July long weekend – the forecast is sunshine, and beach goers are ready to party after a long winter and full school year. Gearing up for the crowds, Cocos is short-staffed: manager Natalie works the phone to scramble last-minute servers.

Competition is fierce at the hottest beach town around. Mick enrols Justin and Patrick to take out Cocos leaky boat, to fly their newly printed flag and do some publicity at the beach. Watching over beach goers is handsome Mexican lifeguard Juan, also the resident DJ at Gables, the rival bar up the strip. Gables is Coco’s main nemesis and hated by Mick.

Drag racing weekend at the local Motorplex: Mickey dons his 70s shag wig and baseball cap in anticipation of the arriving race crowds. Justin’s girlfriend Amelia finally has the day off, and heads to the beach with some girlfriends. Before they leave, manager Natalie pours them tequila shots – but, as usual, she holds down the fort.

Cocos is a family business, in the traditional sense. Niece Natalie has worked there eight years so has Mick’s “adopted son”, frontman and hustler Patrick. Suddenly halfway through the summer, the family structure unravels. Without warning or explanation, Natalie hangs her keys on the door, and disappears, leaving Cocos to scramble for the upcoming long weekend.

As the family heads into the final stretch of summer, Patrick comes to Grand Bend to work his last weekend at Cocos. Determined to make it worthwhile, he’s lining up dates for every night – sometimes with more than one girl. His departure party will be bittersweet. Patrick predicts Mick won’t show emotion, but everyone admits Cocos won’t be the same when their frontman is gone.