Surf Bagel heads to Middletown next

SoDel Concepts recently signed a lease for a retail spot, seen here, off Route 299 in Middletown. The restaurant group will open a Surf Bagel there on a yet-to-be-determined date. | DBT PHOTO BY KATIE TABELING

MIDDLETOWN — SoDel Concepts will be expanding its Surf Bagel empire up north. This time, the New York style bagel and fast casual venue will be opening in Middletown, marking it SoDel’s most northern location to date.

SoDel Concepts President Matt Patton confirmed to the Delaware Business Times that the restaurant group has signed a lease for the 7,400 square-foot building in the Dove Run Shopping Center, right off Route 299. The building was leased to Friendly’s, which had closed on Aug. 25 after 12 years of business. 

“We’re stoked to bring Surf Bagel to Middletown and we can’t wait to get started,” Patton told DBT. “We’re renovating the building, and while we don’t have a timeline just yet, we’re working diligently to open as soon as possible.”

SoDel Concepts plans to hire 40 employees, consisting of both part-time and full-time staffers, for the Middletown Surf Bagel following the previous hiring formula for additional sites it opened in Milford, Fenwick Island and Long Neck.

Since opening its original location in 2004, Surf Bagel has become a beach favorite for residents and visitors alike that flocked to Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. Founded by brothers and avid surfers Dave and Tom Vitella, the eatery is well-known for its New York-style bagels, flavored cream cheeses, bagel sandwiches and other breakfast and lunch items.

When the Vitellas were ready to move on to the next chapter, they sold Surf Bagel to Lewes-based SoDel Concepts in November 2021. 

At the time, SoDel President Scott Kammerer told DBT that Surf Bagel was a strong fit to the fast growing restaurant company’s portfolio as many of its concepts focus on lunch and dinner, but had few offerings for fast casual breakfast.

Back in 2021, Kammerer also told DBT there was a chance Surf Bagel could expand beyond the beaches. That chance became a reality in 2022 when the franchise opened in twin-county Milford, a rapidly-growing town in the First State.

The next stop was Long Neck, another rapidly growing area of Delaware that sits between the Rehoboth Bay and the Indian River Bay.

Patton confirmed that Middletown’s quickly growing population made it a perfect stop for Surf Bagel’s fifth location.

“Middletown is vibrant community full of sports teams, schools, first responders, businesses, and people who want the best bagels around so it’s a perfect fit for Surf Bagel,” he added.