01/08/2026
Recently someone without any connection to our business posted fake news about the sale and closing of the Oceanana. Unfortunately, a local news organization reposted the false tale without checking any facts.
Here’s the truth:
The Oceanana was founded in 1959 by A.B. Cooper, Sr. (pictured here). The Cooper family still owns and operates the Oceanana. It has not been sold. The Coopers have no intention of selling it.
The Oceanana motel, Pier House Restaurant and fishing pier are all currently closed for the winter. They will all reopen in the spring as they have for 67 years. In the meantime, we are investing in upgrades at the motel (room renovations and improvements to our grounds), making repairs on the pier, and adding some new things at the restaurant.
The Cooper family is planning to redevelop the property towards the end of this decade at which point the buildings will be 70 years old. 70 years on the oceanfront is a long time for any structure. The buildings simply need to be replaced. Many, but not all, of the permits needed for this redevelopment have been secured. The redevelopment will consist of a new restaurant building and residences as well as the existing pier. Change is often bittersweet, but buildings don’t last forever. We’ll share more information about the next Oceanana in future posts.
As far as the here and now is concerned, we think our guests will love the improvements we’re making to the property, and we look forward to welcoming our Oceanana family back to Atlantic Beach in 2026.
Our tentative opening date for the Pier House Restaurant is March 5th.
The opening of the fishing pier will depend on how quickly our contractors finish the work; we hope to have it done by late March.
The Motel will open prior to Easter Weekend. We are launching a new website soon and will begin taking reservations for 2026 in February.
We'll see you soon at the beach!
