Jayma Cardoso, a native of Brazil, came to New York 23 years ago to study at Rutgers University under their “English as a Second Language” program with little money and no friends. Jayma talked her way into her first nightclub job at Boom in Bridgehampton by saying she was an expert bartender and had a place to stay in the Hamptons for the summer – neither was true. She worked her way up the nightclub chain to become a successful and innovative creator, owner, and operator of clubs and restaurants in New York. She is one of the few women at the top of her profession. In her career, Jayma has built and operated three famous New York venues with different partners. Her first was Cain on 27th Street, followed by Gold Bar in Nolita, and Lavo uptown. Eight years ago, Jayma and partners bought a dilapidated motel in the then sleepy hamlet of Montauk. She turned The Surf Lodge into the most talked about hotel, restaurant, art, and concert venue in the Hamptons and spearheaded the transformation of Montauk into a must-stop in the international fashion, music, and art circuit.
