Parks Marina

What Parks Marina does

Parks Marina is a family-owned, multi-location marine dealership and lifestyle hospitality business headquartered on East Lake Okoboji in Okoboji, Iowa, with a sister marina in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Founded in 1983 by Leo 'Butch' Parks after acquiring Gibson Sporting Goods, the company operates a vertically integrated platform spanning new and pre-owned boat sales (authorized dealer for Cobalt, Barletta, Nautique, and Crownline), full-service marina operations including repair, summerization, winterization, indoor and outdoor storage, and a parts department. The company monetizes the waterfront through six concurrent revenue streams: one-time boat sales, recurring service and storage contracts, usage-based boat rentals and public/private cruises (including the Shake the Lake Saturday cruise), transaction-based food and beverage at the world-famous Barefoot Bar tiki bar and Snappers Turtle Bay Cafe lakeside restaurant, retail merchandise through Barefoot Apparel and the Palm at the Park Lilly Pulitzer specialty store, and event venue rentals at the Parks Boat Club. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through on-site visits, online boat inventory browsing at boats.parksmarina.com, dedicated event and rental websites (cruiseokoboji.com, rentals.parksmarina.com, cruiseokoboji.com, thebarefootbar.shop, shop.palmatthepark.com), and community-event-driven foot traffic including the Battle of the Bartenders, Full Moon Parties, charity poker runs, and University of Okoboji Winter Games hosting.

Following the late-2024 divestiture of Central Emporium, Okoboji Boat Works, O'Farrell Sisters restaurant, and adjacent properties, the company has consolidated around its core marine and Barefoot Bar operations. Ownership transitioned to Debbie Parks and son Rudy Parks after the January 2026 passing of founder Butch Parks. The business serves recreational boat buyers, Iowa Great Lakes tourists, event planners, and hospitality guests, with no proprietary technology platform and no AI/ML capabilities disclosed; operations rely on Wix-hosted web properties, Toast for online food ordering, and email/SMS newsletter marketing. Customer engagement is anchored by community programming, branded merchandise as walking advertisements, and live webcam streaming of the lake environment.

Name

Parks Marina

Legal name

Parks Marina Inc.

Website

https://parksmarina.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Parks Marina is a family-owned Iowa marine dealership and lakefront hospitality operator founded in 1983, selling new and used boats (Cobalt, Nautique, Barletta, Crownline) while running service, storage, rentals, cruises, the Barefoot Bar, Snappers restaurant, event venue, and retail apparel from East Lake Okoboji and Sioux Falls.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Dealership and Marina Services

NAICS

Marinas (713930), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Marina & Waterfront Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Recreation Rentals & Tours Retail Counter (On-site Sales) (CRAMAIAM)

Keywords

• Boat sales and service
• Marina and storage
• Boat rentals
• Lake cruises
• Marine hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Okoboji

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Boat Sales: New and used boat sales including pontoons, Cobalt, Nautique, Barletta, and Crownline brands. Full-service dealership with sales, financing coordination, and delivery.
2. Marina Services: Boat service, repair, winterization, storage, and parts sales. Service department handles maintenance for customer vessels.
3. Cruises and Rentals: Public and private boat cruises on Lake Okoboji, boat rentals, and excursion services.
4. Food and Beverage: Barefoot Bar (tiki bar with lakeside views, live entertainment) and Snappers Turtle Bay Cafe (casual lakeside restaurant).
5. Retail: Barefoot Apparel merchandise, Palm at the Park (Lilly Pulitzer specialty store), shirt shack, and general retail merchandise.
6. Event Venue Rental: Parks Boat Club event venue for weddings, corporate events, and private parties with lakefront views.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Parks Marina is a full-service boat dealership and lakeside hospitality campus operating primarily on East Lake Okoboji, Iowa. Its core offerings include new and pre-owned boat sales across Cobalt, Barletta, Nautique, and Crownline brands; a marine service department with summerization, winterization, inboard/outboard and outboard parts, and indoor/outdoor boat storage; recreational boat rentals of pontoons and wake boats; public and private chartered cruises on Lake Okoboji; the Barefoot Bar tiki bar and Snappers Turtle Bay Cafe lakeside restaurants; the Parks Boat Club lakefront event venue; and Barefoot Apparel and Palm at the Park (a Lilly Pulitzer specialty store) retail. The company also operates a sister sales-and-service marina in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Product overview

Parks Marina is a diversified multi-location marina and hospitality business operating primarily on East Lake Okoboji, Iowa. Founded in 1983, the business encompasses a full-service boat dealership (new/used boats, pontoons, waverunners) with service, storage, and parts departments; water-based entertainment including public and private cruise services (Shake the Lake, excursion cruises); and lakeside hospitality venues including the world-famous Barefoot Bar tiki bar and Snappers Turtle Bay Cafe restaurant. Additional operations include the Parks Boat Club event venue, Palm at the Park retail clothing store, Barefoot Apparel merchandise, a sister marina in Sioux Falls, SD, and community outreach through the Butch Parks Scholarship Fund. The business operates a subscription-based email and SMS newsletter service for customer engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Barefoot Bar: World-famous lakeside tiki bar featuring live entertainment, food, and tropical cocktails with Key West-style atmosphere on East Lake Okoboji.
• Snappers Turtle Bay Cafe
• Palm at the Park
• Barefoot Apparel
• The Boat Club
• Butch Parks Memorial Scholarship for the Trades

Products and services

• Boat Sales (New and Pre-Owned) Full-service dealership offering new and pre-owned recreational boats from authorized premium brands (Cobalt, Nautique, Barletta, Crownline), pontoons, and waverunners, with on-water demonstrations, financing coordination, delivery, and trade-in support for individual consumers and households.
• Boat Rentals Rental fleet of pontoons, wake boats, and other recreational vessels available by reservation for use on East Lake Okoboji, targeted at visitors and locals without their own boat.
• Public Cruises Scheduled excursion cruises departing from Parks Campus on East Lake Okoboji, ticketed via cruiseokoboji.com for individual consumers and groups wanting a pre-packaged lake experience.
• Private Cruises Chartered boat cruises available for private events, corporate gatherings, weddings, and custom lake experiences with optional full bar and bartender services; booked via cruises.parksmarina.com.
• Shake the Lake Cruise Weekly 120-person-capacity Saturday afternoon cruise running 1-5 PM with a DJ, full bar, and route between Okoboji Boat Works and Millers Bay on the Iowa Great Lakes.
• Marine Service and Storage Full-service boat maintenance including inboard/outboard and outboard service, summerization and winterization, indoor and outdoor boat storage, and parts supplied through dedicated I/O and outboard parts request forms for dealership customers.
• Barefoot Bar Lakeside tiki bar on East Lake Okoboji serving a full bar, casual food, and signature cocktails with live entertainment; targeted at lake visitors, local residents, and tourists seeking a distinctive waterfront atmosphere.
• Snappers Turtle Bay Cafe Lakeside casual-island-fare restaurant with full bar serving the East Lake Okoboji public; supports dine-in, online ordering via Toast, and catering.
• Parks Boat Club Event Venue Lakefront event space with panoramic East Lake Okoboji views for weddings, corporate events, holiday parties, and private gatherings; offers on-site catering and bar service.
• Palm at the Park Retail Store Iowa's first Lilly Pulitzer specialty store offering bright apparel, accessories, and souvenirs at the Central Emporium in Arnold's Park, operated as a sub-brand of Parks Marina.
• Barefoot Apparel Iconic-logo apparel and merchandise line from The Barefoot Bar, sold online at thebarefootbar.shop and at the Parks Marina campus; the merchandise acts as a walking advertisement for the Barefoot Bar brand.
• Sioux Falls Marina Sister sales-and-service marina location in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, carrying boat brands such as Barletta, Moomba, and Nautique for regional customers.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cobalt BoatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParks Marina is an authorized dealer for Cobalt Boats, described as their primary luxury boat brand. Cobalt continues to outpace competition in quality and performance. Production is limited and Parks Marina is booking build slots for next year. The relationship includes Cobalt owners parties and exclusive product access.
• Barletta PontoonscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBarletta Pontoons are positioned as Parks Marina's flagship pontoon line. Barletta representatives visited in June and were impressed with the Parks Marina operation. Brand offers upgraded furniture packages, quiet smooth handling, premium sound systems, and performance tritoon options.
• Nautique BoatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Nautique dealer offering advanced surf systems, customizable wave settings, and next-gen touchscreen controls. Nautique is described as 'the best tow boat in the industry' and 'voted the best of the best each year in the tow boat segment.'
• Crownline BoatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrownline boats are described as 'a staple in our line' at Parks Marina, offering another option in the boat sales inventory alongside Cobalt, Nautique, and Barletta.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MarineMax: Largest U.S. recreational boat retailer (NYSE: HZO), operating a full-service multi-location dealership model selling new and used boats with financing, service, and storage. Directly comparable to Parks Marina's dealer and service operations, though at significantly larger scale.
• OneWater Marine: Public boat dealer consolidator (NASDAQ: ONEW) operating dealerships across multiple states with full-service sales, service, and marina storage. Closest publicly-traded comp for Parks Marina's multi-brand dealer + service model.
• Suntex Marina Investors: Owns and operates a large U.S. portfolio of marinas, providing slip rentals, storage, and related hospitality. Comparable on the marina-operations and waterfront real-estate side of Parks Marina's business.
• West Marine: Specialty marine retailer with parts, accessories, and supplies across stores and online. Comparable to Parks Marina's parts department and marine retail operations.

Broad incumbents

• Bass Pro Shops: Large outdoor recreation retailer (merged with Cabela's) offering boats, marine products, and destination resort experiences (Big Cedar Lodge). Comparable as a broader outdoor/marine destination, though much larger and not a dealer competitor.
• Landry's Inc. (Margaritaville / Restaurant portfolio): Hospitality operator of destination waterfront restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues (including the Margaritaville brand). Comparable on the Barefoot Bar / Snappers lakeside hospitality and live-entertainment business model, though at significantly larger corporate scale.

Others

• Cobalt Boats: Premium boat OEM and Parks Marina's primary luxury brand partner. Relevant as the upstream supplier whose product allocation and brand health directly drive Parks' sales mix and margins.
• MasterCraft Boat Company: Public towboat manufacturer (NASDAQ: MCFT) competing with Nautique in the wake/surf segment. Indirect peer given the brand-versus-brand dynamic in Parks Marina's towboat line.
• BoatUS: Membership-based boating services organization providing towing, insurance, and consumer advocacy. Ecosystem peer serving the same recreational boating customer base Parks Marina targets.

Emerging players

• GetMyBoat: Online boat rental and charter marketplace. Comparable to Parks Marina's rental and cruise operations as an alternative digital-first channel for non-owners seeking on-water experiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/parksmarinaokoboji
• Instagraminstagram.com/parksmarina
• Xx.com/ParksMarinaBoji
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parks-marina

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Parks Marina