BEMUS POINT – The former Surf Club in Bemus Point is already undergoing changes in the hands of new ownership.

Under the direction of Peter Kreinheder, owner of Ellicottville Brewing Company, the building shows improvements.

“They are going great guns over there,” said Bryan Dahlberg, Bemus Point mayor, as he talked about a recent tour he had with Kreinheder. The mayor said that Kreinheder will be going through the process with the Planning Board to gain approval for a 7-foot fountain in front of the building. At Monday’s village board meeting, the board accepted the fountain plans.

Stone work and new siding are visible. Scaffolding is up. Workers are frequently carrying in tools, equipment and materials. Garage doors can be seen that will provide access to seating on a large deck in the summer.

Margaret Richardson, trustee, spoke highly of the restaurant construction.

“They’ve done a fantastic job over there – nothing but taste, she said.

Debra Reed, new resident who is buying a condominium down the street from the new restaurant, said, “I’m excited about it.” She has traveled to Bemus Point for many years and has family history with the former Surf Club at the location of the new restaurant.

“My sister and brother-in-law met there in the 1960s,” she said. “I was 9 years old when I first came here,” she added.

Reed is not the only one excited about the new restaurant.

Ellicottville Brewing Company has two other locations, one in Ellicottville and the other Fredonia.

According to a report in The Villager of Ellicottville, Kreinheder is working with Nickolson Construction of Ellicottville on the Bemus Point project, the same contractor that was used for the expansion and renovation at the EBC Ellicottville location.

The location has a rich history, dating back to ownership under Junie Schenck for 42 years.

Schenck passed away at the age of 82 in April 2015. The Bemus Point community made a proud celebration of his life in June 2015.

The Surf Club was sold to Bill King, K.C. Fullmer and Kurt Miller on Jan. 1, 2005, and the restaurant began its season in the middle of July that year.

Ownership changed once more in May 2010, with Niagara Falls restaurateur Jeff Taylor as general manager and co-owner, and Jamestown’s John Frey, a Buffalo restaurateur, and another Jamestown financial backer also becoming involved. It closed shortly thereafter.

The business has not been open since 2011.