- December 14, 2025
Since The Tavern at Cypress Head restaurant reopened in September there has been an increase in the number of people coming in, according to new Restaurant Manager Don Burke.
The Port Orange resident joined the Cypress Head Golf Course team around the end of August and has since been working with the rest of the management to make changes for better service.
The Tavern, which serves the city-owned golf course, officially closed on Sunday, Aug. 6, after being in business for about 21 months. An email, obtained through a public records request, to the city from Tom Smith, one of the previous restaurant mangers, indicated the restaurant had financially struggled for months.
After the closure, food trucks had been used for a period of time to continue providing food to golfers. The restaurant had a soft opening on Sept. 1, but due to Hurricane Irma, didn't fully open until mid-September.
Now, Burke has been looking for ways to not only bring in golfers but area community members as well.
"Council asked about our intentions and we told them we wanted to win back the golfers, first with good food and right pricing and good service," Burke said. "It's those little things that make a restaurant successful."
One major change has been revamping the menu, including the price structure in order make it easier for people to come in more often, according to Reggie Hunter, sales and marketing director.
"You can definitely see the increase in lunch business since he's been here," Hunter said of Burke. "And that's steadily increasing as we go."
For Burke, who has held several restaurant management positions before this one, an important part of making The Tavern a success is listening to the people coming in. One example is how they serve breakfast. Originally, breakfast was served until a certain time on Saturday and Sunday but, after learning more people wanted this kind of food for longer periods, Burke decided to make breakfast happen all day.
According to Hunter, they have already been getting calls about holding future events, such as banquets and weddings, at the restaurant, with some people inquiring about reserving spots into April 2018.
"We're looking to the council to decide how the restaurant is going to go forward," Hunter said. "Until that time, the customers here are being served, they're being served well, they're extremely happy, you can tell that by the people who come here more than once a week."
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