Get to know Sandy Neck Provisions
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Brendan Pike and Meghan McLaughlin stand in front of the sign for Sandy Neck Provisions.
Meghan and BJ McLaughlin own Sandy Neck Provisions, which is perfectly located on Route 6A before the turn to Sandy Neck Beach.
The shop sells “everything you could possibly need for the beach,” such as chairs, coolers, toys, towels, sunscreen, and even ukuleles (some are glow in the dark, too). Meghan says the most popular items are ice, firewood and the yummy iced coffee that’s on tap.
They also offer rentals to add to your beach experience, such as cornhole boards, skim boards, umbrellas, and pop-up docks. Meghan highly recommends renting the Turtlebox speaker because it’s waterproof, sounds great and lasts for 22 hours!
Plus, they have 10 stations available to air up your tires after your visit to Sandy Neck Beach.
The couple are locals who love to spend as much time as possible at Sandy Neck Beach with their children. But every time they would set up for the day, no matter how much planning ahead they did, they’d always forget something. And they’d wonder why a store wasn’t nearby … that’s what sparked the idea for Sandy Neck Provisions.
When the property at 680 Route 6A was for sale, BJ and Meghan knew it was perfect. They bought it, transformed it into a breezy, Cape-style beach shop, and stocked it with all the things they’d love to have on the beach (but may forget from time to time!). They officially opened for the season in 2023.
As new business owners, Meghan says one of the biggest challenges is knowing how much inventory to buy at the start of the season. She learned quickly that buying in bulk to save a little isn’t always the best move. Smaller quantities work better until the store can establish a rhythm of which items move the fastest.
One piece of advice that Meghan would give to small business owners is “Just do it.” Sometimes you must go with your gut and work out the details as it happens. For example, from the beginning, Meghan and BJ envisioned they would make beach deliveries, but they held off offering the service the first season. As they started the second season, Meghan knew in her gut it was the right thing to do.
And it’s been a hit! Beachgoers can call the store, make an order and for a flat fee of $20, Meghan and her team will drive it out to them.
Merch is available for sale on their website, too, for either shipping or in-store pickup.
In addition to running Sandy Neck Provisions, Meghan is president of the Barnstable Village Association and volunteers for the PTA. In June 2024, Meghan was named one of Cape and Plymouth Business magazine’s 40 Under 40.
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