The Surf Restaurant & Bar

What The Surf Restaurant & Bar does

The Surf Restaurant, Bar & Motel is a single-location, independent hospitality business operating at 3199 S. Fletcher Ave, Fernandina Beach, Florida, on Amelia Island. Founded in 1957, the business integrates three revenue streams under one roof: a beachside restaurant serving fresh coastal cuisine, a motel with multiple suite types (including ADA-accessible units), and a private event venue with capacity for up to 110 guests. The company also operates a recurring live music program featuring named local and regional performers across multiple weeknights.

The business serves three primary segments: tourists and beachgoers visiting Amelia Island (the primary segment), local residents, and event bookers seeking private celebration or corporate venues. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: walk-in dining, telephone reservations, and third-party booking via Booking.com for motel rooms, supplemented by online inquiry forms for private events. There is no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or digital loyalty system; distribution is supported by a marketing website (thesurfonline.com), word-of-mouth, and live music as a customer draw.

The revenue model is transactional across all three streams: per-cover food and beverage sales, per-night motel accommodation fees, and per-event venue fees with tailored menus. The business is privately held, with no disclosed institutional investors, no funding history, and no parent company. The 7-employee operation is consistent with a small founder/owner-operated establishment, and the business holds no patents, trademarks, or external awards in the available data.

Name

The Surf Restaurant & Bar

Legal name

The Surf Restaurant, Bar & Motel

Website

https://thesurfonline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Surf Restaurant, Bar & Motel is a single-location, independent hospitality business on Amelia Island, Florida, founded in 1957, operating a beachside restaurant, motel, and private event venue serving tourists, local residents, and event bookers through direct-to-consumer walk-in and booking channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Services

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (721110), Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAGAAAI

Beachfront & Coastal Full-Service Hotels

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Hotels (Full-Service)

SECONDARYTHAFACAH

Hotel & Resort Restaurants

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Full-Service Restaurants (Casual & Fine Dining)

SECONDARYTHAFAEAI

Lounge Bars & Hotel Bars

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Bars, Pubs & Nightlife Venues

Keywords

• Beachside restaurant dining
• Bar and cocktail service
• Motel accommodations
• Private event venue
• Live music entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

Fernandina Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant and Bar Sales: Food and beverage sales from the beachside restaurant serving fresh coastal cuisine, signature cocktails, wines, and craft beers. Covers starters, handhelds, seafood platters, and full drink menu including signature cocktails.
2. Motel Accommodations: Overnight lodging revenue from multiple room types including Deluxe Triple Bedroom Suite, Double Bed Queen Suite, ADA-Accessible Queen Suite, and King/Queen Single Bed Suites. Bookings available through Booking.com, phone, and email.
3. Private Event Venue Rental: Private event bookings for intimate celebrations, corporate events, and special occasions in the lounge area with capacity for up to 110 guests. Includes tailored menu options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Surf Restaurant, Bar & Motel operates a single-location integrated hospitality venue on Amelia Island in Fernandina Beach, Florida. Its core offerings are fresh-coastal-cuisine restaurant dining, a full bar with signature cocktails and craft drinks, beachside motel lodging across multiple room types (including ADA-accessible suites), private event hosting for up to 110 guests, and a regular live music schedule featuring local and regional performers.

Product overview

The Surf Restaurant, Bar & Motel is a single-location hospitality business offering an integrated beachside experience. The core offerings include a restaurant serving fresh coastal cuisine with a full food and drink menu (including signature cocktails and wines), on-site motel accommodations with various room types and ADA accessibility, private event hosting for up to 110 guests, and regular live music entertainment. The business operates as a unified hospitality brand rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restaurant & Bar Full-service beachside restaurant and bar serving fresh coastal cuisine including starters, handhelds, seafood platters, and a full drink menu with signature cocktails, wines, and craft beers. Targeted at Amelia Island tourists, beachgoers, and local residents.
• Motel Accommodations Beachside motel offering overnight stays with multiple room configurations including Deluxe Triple Bedroom Suite (sleeps 6), Double Bed Queen Suite (sleeps 4), ADA-Accessible Queen Suite (sleeps 2), King Suite (sleeps 2), and Queen Suite (sleeps 2). Amenities include free WiFi, cable TV, refrigerator, microwave, and free parking. Targeted at Amelia Island visitors.
• Private Event Hosting Event venue services for intimate celebrations, corporate events, and special occasions in a dedicated lounge area with capacity for up to 110 guests, with tailored menu options. Targeted at individuals and small organizations planning private events.
• Live Music Entertainment Regular live music performances multiple nights per week featuring named local and regional musicians across blues, rock, acoustic, and other genres, including Tyler Brumfield (Sunday), Dyer Davis (Saturday), Brian Ernst (Thursday), Spektra (Friday), and rotating performers such as Troubadour South, Vincent Black, Steve Wilsford, Xhale, Bill Ivins, and Amelia Blues Band. Targeted at restaurant and bar patrons.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Omni Amelia Island Resort: Large beachfront resort on Amelia Island with multiple restaurants, bars, event venues, and a spa. Competes for the same tourist and event business as The Surf but as a full-scale resort operator.
• Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island: Luxury oceanfront resort on Amelia Island operating full-service restaurants, bars, and lodging at the high end of the same market The Surf serves. Comparable as a beachfront hospitality complex but at a materially higher price point and scale.
• Hampton Inn & Suites Amelia Island: Mid-scale chain hotel on Amelia Island competing for the same leisure and event travelers as The Surf's motel. Represents the branded lodging competition the independent motel faces.

Direct peers

• Hoyt House Bed & Breakfast Inn: Historic Amelia Island inn offering lodging and breakfast in a vintage, small-operator setting. Comparable in scale, heritage positioning, and integrated food-and-lodging model.
• Amelia Hotel at the Beach: Independent mid-scale beachfront motel on Amelia Island serving budget-conscious travelers with on-site dining nearby. Most directly comparable on the lodging side given similar room-style product and price tier.
• Elizabeth Pointe Lodge: Boutique beachfront inn on Amelia Island offering ocean-view lodging and a complimentary breakfast-style dining experience. Closest independent analog to The Surf's motel-plus-food concept on the same island.
• Sliders Seaside Grill: Casual beachside restaurant on Amelia Island serving coastal fare and cocktails with live music. Most directly comparable restaurant/bar peer on the same island.

Regional players

• Salt Life Food Shack: Casual coastal-themed restaurant brand with multiple Northeast Florida locations focused on seafood and beach-casual dining. Comparable as a beach-themed full-service restaurant serving similar tourist segments in the region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-surf-restaurant-&-bar

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Surf Restaurant & Bar