PENDER COUNTY — “We hope to be the flagship restaurant in Surf City,” Joe Lyons said about his new eatery opening soon in Pender County’s largest beach town.
Lyons and his business partners, Justin and Becca Smith, and brothers Clay and Scott Darren, will launch Marina Joe’s on the Intracoastal Waterway at 209 N. New River Drive. They’re shooting for a May opening.
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The two-story Marina Joe’s will offer both indoor and outdoor dining, consisting of around 170 seats. Thirty will be located on outdoor decks, facing expansive soundside views.
“It’s really cool because the way the lot is positioned, it’s angled toward the bridge,” Lyons said. “It’s like the Bluewater of Surf City.”
It’s Lyons’ and the Darrens’ first foray into the restaurant business, though the Smiths have owned numerous establishments in Wilmington throughout their three or more decades living in town. They have owned YoSake, Dram + Morsel, Little Dipper, The Husk, and Mixto and still own Proust, Anne Bonny’s and The Rift, the latter of which also has a pizza place attached to it. Plus, the Smiths are partial owners in downtown’s K-Town.
Justin Smith told Port City Daily last week he hadn’t visited the Surf City in a while but upon returning a few years ago was stunned by the growth.
“Both sides of the bridge were unrecognizable,” he said. “As I began spending more time up there, the people and local small businesses impressed me. The town had changed so much but had not lost its small town identity. Very charming.”
Lyons is one of the locals, having purchased a beach home on Topsail five years ago. He loved its “throwback beach town” vibe, with rustic businesses and laid-back residents who have an “approachable friendliness.”
Lyons said with the growth of Surf City constantly on the rise, the lines and wait times at area eateries on the island are constant, especially during tourist season. He saw room in the market to bring a new offering.
Finding a desirable restaurant property in the area proved tough, though. Lyons hoped to land on an already established restaurant for sale but noted they were hard to come by. When his realtor found the lot, Lyons said it was a no-brainer.
It’s been a two-year process to get the restaurant going, per moving through the rezoning process; the lot was earmarked residential instead of commercial. The property is located adjacent to the Topsail Island Trading Company gift shop and a handful of townhomes, just over the bridge onto the island.
The building’s groundbreaking started last September but the group is closing in on the home stretch, finalizing menu plans, hiring staff, starting employee training and putting the finishing touches on the interior.
The restaurant’s interior is 6,000 square feet, with two dining rooms, two bars, and two outdoor decks on both floors. All tables and booths face the water view and the second story has all bay windows.
While the outdoor decks are outfitted with tables, they also are designed to narrow-in, with drink rails for people to enjoy a cocktail by the water without impeding upon diners. The first-story bar is open-air, too — meaning it will serve diners from the inside but also extends to customers sitting soundside.
“We wanted to have places where people can hang both indoors and out,” Lyons said. “And we know people will be coming in with their boats.”
The group has purchased eight boat slips to accommodate dock-and-diners.
There is also a 5-foot outdoor deck adjacent to the building for people who want to sit outside while waiting for their tables. Lyons said the deck can be rented out for special events, such as anniversary, retirement or birthday parties, but also weddings.
“We also would like to bring in live music for locals,” he said. “And I love the notion of local art being featured as well. I also love art that functions as sound barriers. I don’t want the restaurant to be an echo chamber.”
Aside from the color scheme being blues and whites with bright tiles, nothing is finalized beyond that for now, but Lyons said the project’s scope will be “spectacular.”
His love for the greater southeastern North Carolina coast goes back decades, when Lyons attended UNCW in the 1990s. Since, he has moved around the nation to pursue an advertising and marketing career, going from Manhattan to San Francisco to Raleigh.
He has maintained friendships with people in the restaurant industry and ran in the same circle as the Smiths.
“Becca was in college at the same time I was,” Lyons explained, noting when he began considering restaurant and bar investments in the area, it seemed a natural fit to pair up.
“We hope to be a great compliment to the already thriving food and beverage scene,” Justin Smith said. “Great atmosphere, an elevated food experience, cold drinks, and friendly faces.”
They bring vast operations knowledge and are helping devise the menu and grow the team. The menu is still a work-in-progress, around 75% complete, but will offer varied lunch and dinner options, maybe late-night options in-season.
“We want healthier food, more fresh food,” Lyons said, noting the people they’ve spoken to who live in the area agreed the restaurant landscape is already inundated with fried options.
The group has hired two chefs, Shane Kandasamy and Thomas Christakos, to lead the kitchen and plans to work with fresh fish mongers to help build upon tacos for lunch, for instance, or blackened mahi for dinner. Lyons would like to see a seafood tower offered, maybe raw bar options, and wants to also work with local oyster farmers. He foresees specialized items for boaters and fisherman who want to drop by for easy grab-and-go’s ahead of hitting the water for the day.
“The lunch menu will be a bit more casual and dinner will be more elevated,” Lyons explained. “And we want to be family-friendly and cost-conscious for large groups who want to dine with us.”
Todd and Holly Accomando, both formerly of Indochine, will be general manager and bar manager, respectively. Lyons said having them guide the opening has been a big help as well.
“We all plan to jump in and learn the business,” he added of the investor team.
Marina Joe’s will open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, with hours amended during the down season if necessary. Lyons said the restaurant wouldn’t necessarily close altogether during winter months.
“I think we’re gonna be a big enough attraction that, even as Holly Ridge explodes and the population grows, we will have locals coming to us year-round,” he said.
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