The newest location of the Little Pub group is a little different than the other five. For one, it’s attached to a twenty-nine-room hotel. It was a move that Doug Grabe, the owner, wasn’t quite expecting to make.
In 2019 the first ever Little Pub location in Ridgefield was up for a lease renewal that ultimately fell through. Doug, in an attempt to find a home for his restaurant and the employees who worked there, started the hunt for a new location.
He was introduced to a beautiful space, right at Point No Point Beach in Stratford. “The hotel and the restaurant came together; it wasn’t one or the other,” said Grabe. He thought about it and figured this was his best shot at getting his people back to work. “Well, if you ever wanted to get into the hotel business,” he shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
Grabe has a vibe that matches the Surfside Hotel—mellow and cool. He tells the story of his newest endeavor while sipping a coffee on the boat-shaped bar. Behind him are window-lined walls that make a spotlight of the beach horizon. Even though this Little Pub is similar to the other locations as far as menu and service, the feel is quite different. “This location didn’t quite lend itself to timber beams and reclaimed wood,” Doug says.
As for the Surfside Hotel, it is nothing short of Instagram-worthy. It has a retro-beachy vibe designed to make you feel like you’re in Montauk or Nantucket, but without all the traffic and travel. The space was designed by Laura Grabe, Doug’s sister, who runs a local design firm called El Co (elcohome.com). The hotel’s rooms are sun-drenched and airy, oftentimes leading to a private porch with a perfect view of the surfside.
When asked about what is next for him and his team, Doug said the goal is to keep improving on amenities and activities. “While the hotel and restaurant are completely different businesses, they are both hospitality, so what you’re trying to do is make people happy,” he says. “As long as we’re having fun and making people happy, we’ll keep going. If that ever stops, it’s time for us to check out.”
The Surfside Hotel is located at 10 Washington Parkway, Point No Point. Visit the website (thesurfside.com) to book a room, check out the many hotel-sponsored events (like outdoor movies and yoga on the beach), or even shop Surfside’s cool merch—hoodies to stemless wine glasses
