DALLAS — A highly anticipated venue that will combine a surfing wave pool with a bar and restaurant is preparing to open this summer in Deep Ellum.
The 35,000-square-foot Goodsurf at 317 S. Second Ave. — the former home of Sandbar Cantina and Grill, on the east side of Deep Ellum near Fair Park — is expected to open in early to mid-June, General Manager Bryan Van Der Meer said.
That will bring to fruition plans that were first reported in May 2023 — and add an alluring but far-out entertainment element to what has become a major nightlife and cultural destination for Dallas.
The waves created by Goodsurf's Citywave technology are called "deep water stationary waves" and rise up to six feet tall.
"There are not really any entertainment concepts down in Deep Ellum or downtown Dallas besides live music, so we wanted to bring additional opportunity to that area," Van Der Meer said, adding that the site also has plenty of parking, a rarity in the neighborhood.
This will be Goodsurf's first location — "hopefully of many," Van Der Meer said, although he declined to share where might be next.
The company is looking to hire bartenders, servers, hosts, barbacks, wave attendants, line cooks and managers, among other positions. The company is holding open job interviews at the Hickory Street Annex May 6-May 10. Employee training will take place over the last two weeks of May, Van Der Meer said.
Van Der Meer said the venue will likely have 100 to 110 hourly staff and 10 to 15 salaried managers on site.
This comes after holding company Urban Entertainment Concepts acquired wave pool developer Citywave from a German company in 2023. Another surfing restaurant and bar using the Citywave technology, Fireside Surf, opened in The Colony's Grandscape development in February, WFAA reported.
Van Der Meer said the goal is to bring the experience of surfing in the ocean to landlocked areas. He said he only surfed for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and that he was able to stand up on the board and have a great time.
Originally from South Africa, Van Der Meer previously worked on Topgolf's local and international teams, where he met Goodsurf CEO Zach Shor. Van Der Meer said he hopes to bring the excitement factor from brands such as Top Golf to Goodsurf.
"The number one thing for me is that it's an orchestrated experience that's hopefully going to lead to multiple repeat visits," Van Der Meer said.
