LEWES – SoDel Concepts has grown its restaurant empire in 2021 to 15 venues, but President Scott Kammerer and his team show little signs of slowing down in the new year.
From opening Matt’s Fish Camp in Fenwick Island to opening a brewpub in Ocean View, the hospitality group has shown an eye for expansion in Sussex County. But with the recent acquisition of Delaware favorite Surf Bagel, SoDel is ready to expand its menu and may have the power to add more locations throughout the state rather than just its Sussex County base.
“If anything, the last 20 months has exposed everything that is great about Delaware to more people. We feel that summer 2022 will be an epic summer for Delaware’s Coastal Region for all businesses, and we are ready for that to happen,” Kammerer said.
Before the pandemic, SoDel Concepts opened its first brewery Thompson Island Brewery, and had a second or third location in mind. But when COVID-19 came, the restaurants were closed and sales fell the first week between 80% and 90%.
But Kammerer and his team were able to rally and stage a comeback, keeping its more than 900 employees in work while forging on with its expansion plans. In terms of new ventures, SoDel has no other definitive plans in the works for 2022. But Kammerer stands ready for any and all options that come his way in the Delmarva region.
“For Delaware and those doing business in Delaware, the future is bright and we plan on taking full advantage of that,” he said.
