DAYTONA BEACH — Motorsports fans might be enjoying their last Speedweeks and Bike Week season at the Cruisin’ Cafe, a fixture on the corner of Main Street and State Road A1A for three decades.
The owner of the beachside cafe that has more than $1 million of original racing and Harley Davidson memorabilia on display has tentatively agreed to sell the unique restaurant and two other nearby properties to the city for $4.33 million.
City commissioners will decide at their Wednesday, Jan. 21, meeting whether they want to use more than $4 million of community redevelopment area funds to buy 2 S. Atlantic Ave., 16 S. Coates St. and a third parcel on South Coates. The final price would rise to $4.36 million figuring in closing costs and an environmental report.
City staff, who suggest tearing down the 9,954-square-foot restaurant building, say it’s an opportunity to remove blighted property, create 100 parking spaces right off Main Street, and add a new restaurant or even a park in the core tourist area.
The deal would give the city control of the high-visibility corner at Main Street and A1A, and an additional 20,562 square feet of vacant land in very close proximity to Main Street.
Offering parking on that vacant land would help beachside visitors and businesses, and it would allow the city to finally seal another deal at the city-owned 777 Main St., officials say.
For a few years the city has been talking to a South Carolina man who’s interested in buying 777 Main St. for $2 million and sinking another $3 million into transforming it into a new restaurant, bar, event space and music venue. The property doesn’t have adequate parking for what’s been proposed, but creating a new parking lot by the Cruisin’ Cafe could remedy that problem.
Cruisin’ Cafe deal two years in the making
City staff has been negotiating the multi-property acquisition for more than two years. City records show the seller is Myara Properties, and the managing member is Daniel Myara.
The original asking price was $6.5 million for four parcels. Staff sent an offer letter for $3.25 million that was rejected by the seller in October 2024.
In November 2025, the property owner agreed to sell three parcels if the purchase price was $4.33 million. The seller also wanted to keep 20 S. Atlantic Ave., which is home to Sicily Pizza and was originally included in the $6.5 million package.
The appraised value of the three properties is $4.4 million, according to city records.
Additionally, the seller wanted to continue occupying his three other properties until April 30 this year, and operate during this year’s Bike Week. City staff has drawn up a lease agreement with $5,000 monthly base rent that would allow him to do that.
Acquiring the three properties would allow city officials to strongly influence how the land is used.
If city commissioners approve the purchases, city staff is proposing to demolish the Crusin’ Cafe building and have an interim use for that corner property. Staff has suggested using the land for a small version of Boxi-Park in Lake Nona to provide entertainment and activate the space while finding a developer for a restaurant or hospitality use.
Boxi-Park has 12 shipping containers that were repurposed to provide food, drinks and entertainment. The idea is not to replicate Boxi-Park in Daytona Beach, but to use the concept of the shipping containers and open space for entertainment.
A new parking lot could also help the area since parking is a known constraint on Main Street, especially during peak times and special events. City staff say the acquisition would ensure reliable and well-managed parking for residents and visitors, supporting existing businesses that rely on convenient parking and creating a foundation for future mixed-use development projects.
A city memo says the acquisition is a strategic investment that gives the Main Street Community Redevelopment Area control over essential parking, supports economic vitality, and increases the CRA’s ability to implement the redevelopment vision for a more accessible and vibrant community.
You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach could soon buy the Cruisin’ Cafe property
Reporting by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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