The beloved Indian Harbour Beach eatery Doubles Beachside will live on in a smaller form about two miles away on State Road A1A at Desoto Parkway. Its new home is on a lot purchased for $1.53 million by the Satellite Beach CRA in 2006 to set the tone for development in the area and to keep out high-traffic businesses like convenience stores.
The lot, formerly Peg Leg’s Restaurant, was sold to Doubles Beachside owners for $600,000 and will aid in continuing a local tradition which, on June 28, closed the doors on its 15,000-square-foot facility at 1896 South Patrick Dr. after 35 years.
The move to a new 5,500-square-foot version at the A1A location was prompted earlier this year when Zon Beachside Assisted Living and Memory Care, located next door, purchased Doubles Beachside to use its lot for a two-story, nearly 30,000-square-foot expansion.
Doubles Beachside debuted in 1983 as a hoagie shop near South Patrick and Banana River drives and later expanded across the street into a portion of the former Pines Resort. Zon Beachside opened in 2016.
The sale of the lot at Desoto Parkway helps solve two challenges: finding Doubles Beachside a new location nearby for its longtime community supporters, and providing the type of business the Satellite Beach CRA and City Council wanted to fill the key location.
The new lot came with several “green” stipulations – environmentally sensitive landscaping, partial solar power, etc. – which are being incorporated into the final plans. The project must also include 15 parking spaces for public use.
“There were a lot of contingencies on the property to be more community friendly. They wanted a local establishment with local owners who grew up here as opposed to a corporate store,’’ said Doubles owner Ray Featherhoff.
“The local community supported us and we were quite busy. The struggle is going to actually be to come up with a more efficient model. We’re trying to be more streamlined with less square footage and less parking places. It’s going to require a lot of thought,” Featherhoff said.
The new restaurant will have a drive-through window, outdoor sitting areas, and will be golf cart friendly with access from the neighborhoods from Desoto Parkway.
The new location is expected to continue the tradition of having live music, but it may become more acoustic or provided at different hours. If all goes well with design and construction, Doubles Beachside could be back within about a year, depending on the weather, he said.