King & Prince resort taps Atlanta chef Ford Fry for new food amid redesign
An iconic Georgia beach resort will soon feature multiple dining options from one of the most prolific, acclaimed names in Atlanta hospitality: Chef Ford Fry.
The King & Prince Resort and Club on St. Simons Island announced Tuesday that Fry is developing four new dining concepts across the property. At the same time, designer Amanda Lindroth will lend her vision to the resort, updating and unifying the interiors of a property that has seen a variety of owners and structural additions over its nine decades.
The resort will remain open throughout renovations, which should be complete in May.
New owners invest in the King & Prince
The King & Prince was purchased in 2024 by a joint venture backed in part by South Street Partners, a private equity real estate investment firm that is one of the largest owners and operators of private resort communities in the country, according to a news release.
The St. Simons Island property, now managed by Northview Hotels, has begun a comprehensive, multiphase transformation, the announcement said. According to Fry, the collection of new restaurants required an expansion of kitchen space and new equipment.
The renovation will lean into the King & Prince’s origins as a seaside dance club founded in 1935. The resort was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, which allows the owners to earn tax credits during the renovations while adhering to certain guidelines for historic preservation, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.
“We were totally enchanted with the history of the place and magical architecture,” Lindroth told the AJC. “In the 1930s, the founders were kicked out of the Cloister (Sea Island Club) for too much fun. We went all-in to create a reverence for history and, of course, current comfort!”
A new, vintage look for the King & Prince
The redesign, led by Lindroth and her team, will include guest rooms, suites, public gathering spaces and outdoor areas around the property.
Throughout its colorful history, the King & Prince has seen new additions and renovations, including multiple projects undertaken in recent decades. The original hotel was damaged by serious fires in both 1935 and 1937. Then, the seaside resort was commandeered for military use during World War II, reopening to the public in 1947. The King & Prince changed hands several times throughout the 1960s and ’70s until it was foreclosed on. In 1981, it was purchased by MMI Hospitality, which operated the resort for the next 45 years.
Part of Lindroth’s task is to bring cohesive design throughout the King & Prince, linking together sections of the hotel from different eras with references to the original Spanish Revival style of the 1930s.
“The property, which is magical, has a 1970s or 1980s addition, which we are navigating,” Lindroth said. “It will feel much more aligned with the original property when we are finished.”
The color palette will be calm, with natural elements like grass cloth and rattan. Renderings show warm wood and light stone contrasting with plush furniture in blue hues and patterns.
“From the moment guests arrive, we want the renewed King & Prince to feel fresh, lighthearted and elegant,” Lindroth said in a press statement. “Playful yet proper, the design will reflect the hotel’s wonderful pedigree while bringing a consistent sense of style throughout — one that feels welcoming, distinctive and ready for its future.”
New dining concepts at the King & Prince
Fry will help develop a new culinary lineup for the King & Prince that will include four dining concepts. The Atlanta-based restaurateur runs the Rocket Farm Restaurants empire, a collective that includes Little Rey, the Optimist and Superica, with outposts in Charlotte, North Carolina, Houston, Nashville, Tennessee, and elsewhere. The restaurants at the King & Prince represent new territory for the hospitality group.
“St. Simons has such a strong sense of place, and that’s what makes this project exciting,” Fry said in a press statement. “We want each of these restaurants to have its own personality while still feeling like it belongs here. The goal is to create places that become part of people’s routines — whether you’re staying at the resort, coming off the golf course, or live right down the road.”
The first will be the Cottage, set to debut this month, according to the news release. The restaurant is meant to be a neighborhood gathering place, though the announcement did not include further details about the concept.
Coming later will be Daysailer, an all-day cafe and bar overlooking the ocean, and the Green Room, described as “an intimate dinner destination.”
The fourth concept, which will serve the golf club’s members and their guests, is called Idle Tide.
“I’m always inspired when I’m close to the water, and I’m looking forward to working with the local fishermen and shrimp boats nearby,” Fry told the AJC. “It doesn’t get much better than great oysters and shrimp right off the water!”
In addition to the Cottage opening this month, the King & Prince Golf Club will unveil its new course designed by Beau Welling, the announcement said. Additional details, including specific opening dates for each dining concept, will be released later, according to resort representatives.
Close collaboration between design and dining
Fry and Lindroth both told the AJC that their work on the King & Prince has been highly collaborative. Fry’s team developed the initial concepts for the restaurants, and he said Lindroth brought the ideas to life.
“We’ve worked collaboratively through every step of the process, down to the details of the artwork curation. Our philosophy is very similar and aligns well with how we approach restaurant design at Rocket Farm,” Fry said.
Lindroth concurred.
“We had dinner in Atlanta and knew within five minutes we would sing the same song,” the designer said. “He is a gift, and we are all so easily on the same page about how a customer wants to feel.”
