Eric Shirley, a resident of Surf City for seven years, wanted somewhere to take his family when they were tired of the beach or the weather made hanging out outdoors undesirable.

“At the end of the day, it just came down to – we spend a tremendous amount of money in other markets because there’s nothing to do here for young kids,” Shirley said. “On a rainy Sunday, we would end up going bowling in Wilmington or going up to Emerald Isle to Mac Daddy’s [Entertainment Center].”

As a result, Shirley decided to create a venue through his company, Four Oaks Development, a subsidiary of private equity firm Four Oaks Capital. A symbolic groundbreaking for that venue, family entertainment center High Tides and Good Vibes on mainland Surf City at 13971 N.C. 50, is scheduled to take place May 1.

The centerpiece of High Tides and Good Vibes (rendering shown at right) is a 16-lane bowling alley, but the center will also include a restaurant with dishes ranging from fresh seafood and burgers to cocktails and homemade cookies, according to a news release.

The venue will have an arcade, a 4,000-square-foot, two-story laser tag arena, an overhead ropes course and a three-level indoor interactive play tower for younger kids, the release stated.

Four Oaks, which primarily focuses on apartment projects throughout the Southeast with some residential subdivisions and commercial properties, brought in Jerry Merola of AEM as a consultant. Merola has been involved in building hundreds of similar facilities, Shirley said.

“He did a feasibility study and then he’s staying on in a consultancy role through construction and as well as the first three years of operation,” Shirley said.

Shirley said he expects construction for High Tides and Good Vibes to begin in June and plans to open the entertainment center in the summer of 2025.