The Surf Club Restaurant by Chef Thomas Keller

The Surf Club Restaurant by Chef Thomas Keller is an approximately 10,000-square-foot, two-level restaurant located within the historic Surf Club in Surfside, Florida. The project required the construction of a highly detailed fine-dining environment within an existing historic structure, combining custom architectural finishes, complex building systems, and a fully equipped commercial kitchen.

The restaurant spans two levels, with the entire subterranean level dedicated to kitchen, bakery, and culinary operations. That configuration created significant logistical constraints around access, material handling, equipment delivery, and installation sequencing. Commercial kitchen equipment was custom fabricated to Thomas Keller Restaurant Group specifications, requiring close coordination between the culinary team, equipment vendors, MEP trades, and field conditions.

At the main dining level, the existing floor elevation was raised approximately two feet to align with the historic building openings. While necessary to preserve the relationship between the new restaurant and the original architecture, the change substantially compressed the available space for structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and architectural assemblies. Coordination between trades had to be exceptionally precise to maintain the design intent without compromising building performance.

The project also required custom entrance doors that preserved the historic proportions and architectural character of the property while meeting Miami-Dade County hurricane wind-load requirements. Rather than reproducing the original assemblies, the team had to reconcile the appearance of a historic door with modern structural and product-performance standards.

Throughout construction, extensive custom millwork, specialty finishes, integrated lighting, architectural detailing, and building systems required continuous coordination between the design team, specialty fabricators, consultants, and trade contractors. The work was completed within an accelerated seven-month construction schedule, requiring early procurement planning, careful sequencing, and active management of the interfaces between historic conditions, custom fabrication, building systems, and restaurant operations.

The Surf Club Restaurant opened in 2018 and later received one Michelin star.