Hernando Beach Motel Turns a Waterfront Dream into a Growing Business

3Beez, Inc dba Hernando Beach Motel of Hernando County

What started as a boat rental outing along Florida’s Nature Coast has become a thriving small business venture for Fonda and Jeff Bromeland, owners of Hernando Beach Motel and Boat Rentals, and Lala’s Trading Post.

Located in Hernando Beach, the waterfront business offers four motel suites, a fleet of pontoon boat rentals, a gift shop and the community’s only laundromat. Since purchasing the business in 2026, the Bromelands have expanded operations, added new revenue streams and created local jobs with the assistance of the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at University of South Florida.

“We have a four-suite motel here in Hernando Beach, Florida,” Fonda said. “All four of our rooms are water-facing. We also rent pontoon boats, so right outside your door you have access to now 11 pontoon boats,” she added.

In addition to overnight accommodations and boat rentals, the business includes Lala’s Trading Post, a gift shop specializing in souvenirs, home décor and jewelry, as well as a commercial laundromat serving both visitors and local residents.

The idea of owning the Hernando Beach Motel was born nearly five years before the Bromelands ever had the opportunity to purchase it.

While renting a boat from the property, Fonda made an offhand comment that would eventually shape the couple’s future. “We were pulling out on a pontoon, and I turn around and I said, ‘If this place ever came for sale, I’d risk it all on this place,’” she said.

Years later, after accepting a buyout package from her corporate position, the opportunity unexpectedly appeared. Jeff had been researching businesses for sale in Florida when the Hernando Beach Motel came on the market.

The couple believed their complementary skill sets made them a strong fit for ownership. Jeff brought mechanical expertise and a passion for boating and the outdoors, while Fonda contributed operational and training experience developed during her corporate career.

“We both love people,” Fonda said. “I think we went from having jobs that we liked to having a life that we love to be a part of every single day.”

While the Bromelands had a vision for ownership, financing the acquisition proved to be their biggest challenge.

“Getting connected with the Florida SBDC at USF team was instrumental to us being able to make this happen,” Fonda said. “We had the dream, we did not have the funding.”

After being referred to the Florida SBDC at USF, the couple connected with business consultant Bill Burnham, who helped them transform their ideas into a comprehensive business plan.

“Bill sent me, like, a 30-page template,” Fonda said. “It totally took all the Post-it notes and thoughts and memorandums that I had all over the place and everything in my head, and it allowed me to load all the financials into one place so that I was, for the first time, able to see that this isn’t just a pipe dream. We can really make this happen.”

Burnham worked closely with the Bromelands, reviewing financial projections, challenging assumptions and helping prepare the business for financing opportunities. Once the business plan was ready, he connected them with Scott Radway of Florida First Capital Finance Corporation (FFCFC).

According to Fonda, Radway helped guide them through the SBA loan process and connected them with lenders willing to finance their nontraditional business model.

“He was amazing,” she said. “He worked with us. He challenged us as well, and he really helped us get our act together and got us in front of the right lenders that were willing to work with us.”

The financing ultimately enabled the Bromelands to purchase the business and begin implementing growth plans almost immediately.

The couple officially closed on the business May 15 and quickly secured additional funding to support expansion initiatives, including golf cart rentals and additions to their boat fleet.

“The boats are really the money maker,” Fonda said. “To be able to increase the amount of boats we have, we’re going to grow exponentially as a result of that.”

Growth has also translated into local employment opportunities. Since taking ownership, the company has hired two additional part-time employees and is exploring new service offerings based on their team’s strengths, including expanded laundry and property management services.

“Our business has grown because we worked with Florida SBDC at USF,” Fonda said. “They were instrumental in helping us get the loan, and the loan not only covered the purchase of the business, but the expansion efforts that we’re working on.”

As the business continues to evolve, the Bromelands remain engaged with the Florida SBDC at USF for guidance on human resources, payroll systems and disaster preparedness planning.

“So as we move forward, I really see using the Florida SBDC at USF in so many ways,” Fonda said.

For the couple, their biggest accomplishment is not measured solely in revenue or expansion, but in the realization of a long-held dream.

“I believe our biggest success so far is that we took this little, small dream that God planted in us five years ago without us even really realizing what was happening,” Fonda said. “Through a series of events and through amazing partnerships, we were able to actually see that dream come true.”

Today, the Bromelands encourage other entrepreneurs to take advantage of the resources available through the Florida SBDC at USF.

“If there was anything I could tell other business owners about the Florida SBDC at USF, it’s call them now,” Fonda said. “Somebody will get back to you and more than likely they’re going to have someone in-house that can address your issue or at least point you in the right direction.”

Jeff added another benefit of working with the organization: “And start opening up doors for you.”

For this business, those open doors have led from a simple day on the water to a growing business deeply rooted in Florida’s Nature Coast community.