food hall - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-28T13:32:21Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/food+hallDining: Delray food hall to sell everything from sushi to surfboardshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/dining-delray-food-hall-to-sell-everything-from-sushi-to-surfboar2020-12-29T20:00:04.000Z2020-12-29T20:00:04.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8361928660,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8361928660,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="8361928660?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></strong><em>The 150,000-square-foot Delray Beach Market will have more than 30 vendors of food and other products. It is scheduled to open in March. <strong>Rendering provided</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Jan Norris</strong></p>
<p>With completion only a few calendar pages away, the Delray Beach Market is in the final stretch of signing on vendors. But like other businesses opening just now, 2020 problems are bleeding into 2021 plans for what is billed as the state’s largest food hall.</p>
<p>The $60 million, four-story project on Southeast Third Avenue, created by Menin Development of Delray Beach, has been years in planning. With 150,000 square feet — roughly three times the size of New York’s famed Eataly — it’s slated to have more than 30 independent vendors selling everything from sushi to surfboards starting sometime in March. </p>
<p>“Obviously, COVID has thrown us for a loop,” said Jordana Jarjura, Menin’s president and special counsel. “So what we’ve done is cut the permanent stalls from 32 to 25 and spaced them out. To make up for the stalls we removed, we’ll be reaching out to vendors using carts, such as Guaca Go,” she said.</p>
<p>Craig O’Keefe, managing partner of Clique Hospitality, the group responsible for managing the food hall, said that “one of the cool parts of having to eliminate stalls” is the creation of “an awesome opportunity for more startups, small mom-and-pops who wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to get the exposure they’ll get here.</p>
<p>“This will give people an opportunity to experiment and do some cool stuff.”</p>
<p>These vendors will rotate, depending on their success. The goal of each is to become a regular vendor, and Jarjura said “we will be happy” to lose anyone to a brick and mortar space. “That will mean they were successful. We’d love to see that.”</p>
<p>The development group has tried to attract food makers who aren’t represented along the busy Atlantic Avenue and surrounds. </p>
<p>“We were looking for authentic ethnic, local when possible, healthy and memorable,” Jarjura said. “We have Indian, Lebanese, Pan-Asian, healthy quick breakfasts and many more that will be unique.”</p>
<p>Vendors will include vegan, Mexican traditional, Italian pastries and a Caribbean stall with conch salad, conch fritters and Kalik beer. </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8361934259,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8361934259,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="190" height="285" alt="8361934259?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a>They will come from around the county with a few outside of the area, Jarjura said. Some local chefs and food providers are on board. For example, Jimmy Everett of Driftwood in Boynton Beach will pay homage to Mexican sisters with Sorella’s, a fresh pasta stall. </p>
<p>“I was trained by these two Mexican sisters in New York who learned how to make pasta from this little Italian woman. Back in the day they really were the ones doing fresh pasta shapes for all the top restaurants,” he said. One of the pair died from cancer and with her went the dream of opening their own pasta shop.</p>
<p>“So Sorella’s means sister in Italian, and the shop is in honor of them,” Everett said. The tiny stall — roughly 250 square feet — will offer fresh pastas made on the spot, and sauces with some other components for a pasta dish. </p>
<p>He’ll manage in the little booth, he said. “Oh, I’m defin-itely used to working in tiny spaces: I had a kitchen in L.A. that was 75 or 100 square foot.”</p>
<p>A display case will have pastas by the pound, along with sauces to take home for a DIY dinner.</p>
<p>The retail is a bonus for Everett, and even though it won’t bear the Driftwood name, it’s up to his standards. Retail, he said, is a growing aspect in the restaurant industry as COVID-19 still keeps diners at bay.</p>
<p>The developers have taken the virus into consideration, with a cashless business model, touchless bathrooms, collapsible nano walls for open-air spaces, and outdoor seating as well as spaced-out interior tables.</p>
<p>The stalls are minimalist in decor by design.</p>
<p>“We wanted stripped-down stalls so the public can see the vendors in action. They can watch the pasta being made, and the sushi chef making sushi,” Jarjura said.</p>
<p>The money for decor was spent instead on murals, and a variety of artwork by local and national artists in a mix of media will be displayed, and rotated in and out.</p>
<p>“We want it to be a feast for the eyes and the soul,” Jarjura said.</p>
<p>A great deal of interaction will be involved in keeping the sprawling space lively. The mezzanine features a show kitchen and play area for kids, as well as a community gathering space where meetings or social events could be staged. While parents get some computer work done on the free Wi-Fi, kids can engage in gaming nearby. Balconies provide more open-air spaces on this level.</p>
<p>Jarjura believes the market will become a new social gathering space. “The Greenmarket is the green outdoor community space; we’re going to be the indoor community hub.”</p>
<p>The projected number of visitors is large, 2,000 a day, but the team said that has to do with the large hall, long hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, and the chance for visitors to come and go or to stay awhile. </p>
<p>“It seems like a really large number, but over the course of an entire day, people will come and go throughout, and different spaces will be utilized. With so much flex space it offers a lot of freedom to move around,” O’Keefe said.</p>
<p>The vendors have signed on for one year, minimum. And not all are for food, despite the description of the market.</p>
<p>Briny Breezes' surf shop Nomad is slated to set up shop indoors. It will offer beachwear and supplies for a day at the shore.</p>
<p>“We have some retail spaces in the market. They were a local favorite. I went to school with Ronnie Heavyside,” Jarjura said. “His father started it in the ’80s. And I know his brother Ryan through Ronnie. I just thought Delray was such a large part of their history.”</p>
<p>One example of the market’s authentic ethnic flavor is the Tiffin Box, a fast, fresh Indian takeout. </p>
<p>“We wanted traditional Indian,” Jarjura said. “The way he presents his cuisine, it’s more approachable. Even if you’re not familiar with Indian, it’s very easy to approach it.”<br />Bona Bona is an extravagant ice cream shop that has adult “boozy” mixtures along with family favorites. Tekka Bar is the sushi stall, coming from operators who are from Las Vegas. </p>
<p>O’Keefe said cocktails and beers will play a role in the market. A lounge area in the flex space on the mezzanine can host special or private events and turn into a more club-like atmosphere at night.</p>
<p>“Several vendors have their beer and wine license,” he said. “Sake at the sushi stall. There is a central bar on the ground floor; it’s the main focus for beverages on the ground floor. There will be the coolest craft beer bar in Palm Beach County among the retail components. The mezzanine bar is the only other bar with hard liquor.” </p>
<p>The lounge area is a potential community hot spot in the daytime, O’Keefe said. “Maybe Mommy and Me cooking classes, or how to play the ukulele, or yoga people can do. It will be real community engagement.” </p>
<p>Plenty of outdoor seating will be available on the oversized sidewalks.</p>
<p>“There is so much advanced technology throughout,” O’Keefe said. “You can order as a group on your phone with an app, from individual stalls, and pay as one ticket. And you will get a text message once your food is ready for pickup.”</p>
<p>As for parking, the four-story structure includes 220 spaces in an enclosed garage.</p>
<p>The market is scheduled to open in March at 33 SE Third Ave., Delray Beach, and be open daily, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.<br /> </p>
<p>Co-owner John Calomiris of Dune Deck Cafe in Lantana said he was embarrassed after decades in business to have to discuss a rodent problem at the oceanfront restaurant. </p>
<p>“We know, the city knows and the exterminator knows about it,” he said. “They live under the wooden sidewalk and in the brush all around the restaurant. That is their home. They are out of control. The city came to clear out the brush at the back of the restaurant, but you can’t control them.” </p>
<p>Inspectors shut down the popular eatery when rats were found in the kitchen, and other violations, including a dirty ice dispenser, were discovered. </p>
<p>Overnight the restaurant was cleaned, reinspected and reopened within a day, Calomiris said. Crews come in early daily to clean, and a second crew comes at night, he said.</p>
<p>Exterminators come sometimes three times a week as needed. </p>
<p>Without a sealed walkway next to the restaurant on the ocean side, he doesn’t foresee an end to the problem.</p>
<p>“It’s embarrassing,” Calomiris said. “I’ve been here for 40 years, and haven’t been shut down except for COVID for 90 days.”<br /> </p>
<p>In brief: A makeover is in the works this year for the former Rum Bar and Grill at the Waterstone Resort and Marina in Boca Raton. It’s planned to become a premier outdoor waterfront dining experience, according to publicist Michelle Soudry of the Gab Group. … A high-end steakhouse will open in Delray Beach in 2021, brought to South Florida by the owners of Scarpetta and Campagna in New York City. Details will come as plans are released. ... At the end of December, longtime restaurateur Henry Olmino moved Mario’s, his popular Italian eatery at 225 Ocean Avenue in Lantana, to 707 Lake Ave., Lake Worth. In September, Olmino opened Fire and Ice at the Lake Worth location. The restaurant is now known as Mario’s on Lake Avenue. Mario’s had been in Lantana since 2015.</p>
<p><em>Jan Norris is a food writer who can be reached at nativefla@gmail.com</em></p></div>Business Spotlight: New food hall coming: Delray Beach Markethttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/business-spotlight-new-food-hall-coming-delray-beach-market2019-12-04T14:30:00.000Z2019-12-04T14:30:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907263,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907263,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="550" alt="7960907263?profile=original" /></a><em>The hall, a half-block off Atlantic Avenue on Southeast Third Avenue, will have 36 vendors and focus on ethnic cuisines. The market is expected to open in spring 2021. <strong>Rendering provided</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Christine Davis and Jan Norris<br /></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">The trendy food hall concept broke ground in Delray Beach in November, with the shovels ready for the <strong>Delray Beach Market</strong>. <br /> <strong>Menin Development</strong> is behind the 150,000-square-foot, four-story building that will consist of a parking garage for 220 vehicles plus the market on the bottom floor.<br /> The market will be a half-block off Atlantic Avenue on Southeast Third Avenue, with the railroad tracks just west of it. <br /> Longtime South Florida restaurateur Dennis Max, as director of hospitality, will oversee the 36 vendors expected to fill the hall.<br /> “Craig Menin and I are old friends. He came to me with the idea already formed, and I gladly joined his team,” Max said. <br /> Growing up in Los Angeles within walking distance of that city’s Farmers Market, which predated his childhood, played a huge role in influencing Max’s life in the food business, he said. He hopes to replicate parts of it in downtown Delray, as well as parts of other successful food halls such as the newer Time Out in Miami.<br /> He’s curating a group of entrepreneurial vendors who will prepare dishes at the hall and in some cases sell ingredients or partial meals for people to prepare at home.<br /> The focus is on ethnic cuisines prepared by people for whom they are heritage foods.<br /> “Our mission statement is to be genuine and pure, authentic and fresh. There will be no chains here,” Max said. “We’re looking for real people who live in the community, who are first, second or third generation — it doesn’t matter. But to have that sort of background, be it Japanese, South American — anywhere, it doesn’t matter, and be authentic and pure, that’s what we want.<br /> “J.P., our publicists, said it best: It’ll be a casual setting where you can get first-class, quality food options from around the world without having to travel, or commit the time to a traditional restaurant meal.”<br /> The goal, he said, is to have as many foods prepared on site as possible for customers. “Also we want them to buy things to take home for the rest of the week for their meals,” Max said.<br /> One example he gave was of the wurst maker who will offer sausages and wursts packaged for the home cook as a butcher would do. <br /> “We will represent all this diversity, from Mexico and Italy, Spain, all around the world,” he said. <br /> The food hall is an ideal venue for would-be restaurant owners for whom a brick and mortar space is prohibitive in both cost and labor. Food truck “graduates” are the ideal candidates, Max said.<br /> “We love food truck people. There’s a natural progression from a food truck to a space at a food hall. It’s virtually impossible to open a brick and mortar restaurant, even a small one, for someone with a modest business. <br /> “The food truck business owner is able to get the business concept and handle the efficiency of being a vendor in a busy hall. He or she already does that in the truck.”<br /> Max and his team now are vetting each potential vendor in advance of the anticipated spring 2021 opening. Vendors are coming to the test kitchen at his office, or bringing around their food trucks for the team to sample. Those that are deemed authentic and good quality get the thumbs up.<br /> Menin will remain the landlord and put up the money for all the equipment in the hall for the cooks: stoves, refrigerators, tables and small appliances. The vendor is therefore not out his life savings, Max said, if things don’t work out.<br /> “It is a business venture,” he said. “The landlord needs to have control. I equate it to a sports team: The owner needs to be in control of the players. He needs to be able to let a team member go if they aren’t working out. This way, they can walk away with the time and labor they put in without losing all that money for equipment.”<br /> The hall will be laid out with take-out window vendors such as <strong>Seed Coffee</strong> of Boca Raton occupying the west side with sidewalk seating. These vendors could stay open late and open early with the rest of the food hall opening later.<br /> Inside, seating for 650 will be scattered throughout, both individual and communal spots. Vendors will have counter seating in their areas.<br /> Outdoors, there will be seating for 150. That includes on the east side of the building, an indoor/outdoor beer garden with a patio.<br /> Two bars, one on the mezzanine level and the second downstairs, will serve liquor; another craft brew bar will be indoors. <br /> “Most food halls control all the alcohol but we’ll let our vendors sell beer and wine. A few each, so you don’t have to run all around after you get your food to get your drinks,” Max said.<br /> A market with carts of fresh farm produce might be in the works for Saturdays.<br /> “We’re looking to help entrepreneurs make that leap from a food truck to a food hall, and maybe to their own restaurant. There are great stories of this out there,” he said.<br /> Menin is committed to the project and is hands-on, involved in all the decisions, unlike many market owners, Max said. He said he’s privileged to be paired with someone who isn’t in it for just the money. <br /> “It’s like making a movie with the best director and best producer you could have. It’s really a labor of love,” Max said.<br /> The Delray Beach Market will be at 33 SE Third Ave. It’s expected to create about 280 jobs during construction, and 250 or more permanent jobs.<br /> <br /> Three new pop-ups have signed short-term leases and are open at <strong>Mizner Park</strong> in Boca Raton: Wolf Gallery; Lululemon, which sells athletic apparel; and Bonita’s, a women’s clothing store. <br /> Hästens, a bed and mattress store, and Cielito Artisan Pops, offering frozen treats and gifts, will open shortly as permanent tenants. <br /> Other new tenants slated to open in 2020 include Calaveras Cantina, a Mexican restaurant; the Blue Fish, a sushi and Japanese restaurant; Lost Weekend, a bar featuring billiards, other games, arts and brews; Subculture Coffee; and Strike 10 Bowling. <br /> <br /> <strong>Death or Glory</strong>, 116 NE Sixth Ave., Delray Beach, planned to hold an Ugly Sweater Party on Dec. 2 as part of its Miracle Holiday Pop-Up Bar. The idea was for people who didn’t have sweaters ugly enough to bring in what they had, with Delray Beach fashion designer Amanda Perna gussying up those sweaters, for free. <br /> Perna’s brand, the House of Perna, has been sold at retailers that include Anthropologie, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom and BHLDN. In late 2018, she launched a second brand, Neon Bohemians, which debuted at Nordstrom. And in 2019, she published her children’s book, F is for Fashion. <br /> Miracle Holiday Pop-Up Bar at Death or Glory continues to celebrate the holiday season through Dec. 31 and will sell glassware with 10% of sales donated to Action Against Hunger. <br /> For more information, visit <a href="http://www.deathorglorybar.com">www.deathorglorybar.com</a> or call 561-808-8814.<br /> <br /> <strong>Lawn Love</strong>, a California app-based service for professional lawn care services, is launching in Ocean Ridge. Users of its service can schedule, review and pay for yard work via a mobile app or website, which uses satellite imaging software to review a property and generate a quote in a couple of minutes. <br /> Lawn Love has partnered with small lawn-care businesses across Florida, each having gone through a screening process to assess its level of lawn care experience. Services offered include mowing, weeding, aeration and gutter clearing. For more information, visit <a href="https://lawnlove.com">https://lawnlove.com</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907082,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907082,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="500" alt="7960907082?profile=original" /></a><em>Steve Schmidt takes part in CEO Build. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
<p>In October, more than 100 CEOs and other senior-level business leaders took part in <strong>Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County</strong>’s third annual <strong>CEO Build</strong> to raise hammers and roof trusses on a Boynton Beach home for Gretta Ceasar and her family. They also raised $350,000. <br /> Several also worked to revitalize the neighboring Maranatha Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church through the organization’s neighborhood revitalization program, presented by Vertical Bridge Holdings. Habitat’s “A Brush with Kindness” program reinvests in homes and other community assets. <br /> Among those who participated were Boca Raton residents Paul Adkins, Doug Fash, Forrest Heathcott, Rick Howard, David Isreal, Steve Schmidt, John Tolbert and Jay Whelchel; and Ocean Ridge residents Ken Lebersfeld and Scott Sullivan.<br /> Fash, founder and CEO of Sunflower Landscaping and Maintenance, was the honorary chairman. Sponsors were Moraca Builders and Sklar Furnishings.<br /> <br /> Boca Raton-based <strong>Pebb Capital</strong> purchased five Atlantic Avenue properties on 6.7 acres — which included acquisition of the Sundy House — for close to $40 million toward its plans to build a mixed-use project called Sundy Village in the Old School Square Historic Arts District. The sale closed Oct. 22, public records show. <br /> The Delray Beach project will cost more than $100 million to develop and is in a federally designated Opportunity Zone. <br /> The project will include nearly 50,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and about 70,000 square feet of office space, with construction to begin within a year. Marshall Florida Holdings was the seller.<br /> <br /> Kimberly Vassalluzzo purchased an estate at <strong>249 W. Alexander Palm Road</strong> in the Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, Boca Raton, for $13 million on Nov. 15.<br /> The six-bedroom home, with 11,401 total square feet, was built last year. Mikhail Avrutin, who is the owner and developer of Baltic Hotel Group, was the seller. Both Vassalluzzo and Avrutin were represented by David W. Roberts with <strong>Royal Palm Properties</strong>.<br /> <br /> Richard Templer, the owner of a professional horse racing stable, and his wife, Diane, bought a waterfront home at <strong>190 NE Fifth Ave.</strong>, Boca Raton, for $12.15 million on Oct. 24. Jeffery H. Norman, the founder of JH Norman Construction, sold the home.<br /> The custom five-bedroom home, with 180 feet on the Intracoastal Waterway, was built in 2018 by JH Norman Construction and designed by the Brenner Architecture Group. <br /> Norman bought the property for $6.79 million in March 2017 before building the house, records show. The D’Angelo/ Liguori team of <strong>Premier Estate Properties</strong> represented the buyer and the seller in the deal.<br /> <br /> <strong>Walgreen Co.</strong>, based in Deerfield, Illinois, sold the 14,362-square-foot store at <strong>3200 S. Federal Highway</strong> in Delray Beach for $6.54 million in October, property records show. The buyer is WBAFL001 LLC, a Delaware company. Public records also show that Walgreens now leases the property from WBAFL001. <br /> WBAFL001 is tied to Oak Street Real Estate Capital of Chicago, a private equity firm that manages commingled funds and accounts, according to its website. The Delray Beach property last sold in 2001 for $4.2 million.<br /> <br /> Mitchell Robbins, co-founder of Robbins Property Associates, bought a 7,997-square-foot house at <strong>461 S. Maya Palm Drive</strong> in the Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, Boca Raton, for $5.5 million.<br /> The home, built in 2016, has five bedrooms, five bathrooms and two half-bathrooms. <br /> The sellers, Robert and Suzanne Noble, bought the property for $5.825 million in 2016. <br /> David W. Roberts of <strong>Royal Palm Properties</strong> represented the buyer and the seller in the deal.<br /> Robbins Property Associates was founded in 2009 by brothers Mitchell and Steve Robbins to acquire multifamily communities. The firm merged with North Palm Beach-based Electra America in late 2016.<br /> <br /> CDS Investments, a Florida limited company led by Carl DeSantis and William Milmoe, paid $3.1 million for the 10,000-square-foot building at <strong>401 W. Linton Blvd.,</strong> Delray Beach, on Oct. 24. Brokers William Cunningham and Christopher McInnis of <strong>Park View Realty</strong> represented the buyer, while <strong>Marcus & Millichap</strong> represented the seller, Callisto Realty LLC.<br /> Callisto Realty paid $2,475,000 for the property in March 2007. The third floor of the building will soon be available for lease. <br /> <br /> Broker <strong>Jeffrey Ray</strong> joined Compass Florida in November. He has opened an administrative office, Jeffrey Ray & Associates at Compass, 2875 S. Ocean Blvd., Suite 200, Palm Beach, and is assembling a team.<br /> Ray, a Manalapan resident, founded Jeffrey Ray & Associates in 2008, specializing in luxury real estate from Palm Beach to Miami, with more than $300 million in closed sales to his credit. For info or to apply to join his team, email him at Jeffrey.ray@compass.com.<br /> <br /> Atlantis resident <strong>Amy Snook</strong>, a partner in the All About Florida Homes team of Lang Realty, conducted training sessions for the Women’s Council of Realtors Leadership Academy in Chicago and Orlando. The Chicago program addressed membership development and how to bring value to members of an organization. In Orlando, participants received training for overall and event budget planning.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907486,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960907486,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="7960907486?profile=original" /></a><em>Kurman and McIntyre</em></p>
<p><strong>True Floridian Realty</strong>, led by Noelle McIntyre, and <strong>FurBaby Real Estate</strong>, led by Adrianne Kurman, have merged to form the FurBaby Group at True Floridian Realty. <br /> True Floridian Realty, founded in 2011, has more than 30 agents with locations in Jupiter, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.<br /> Kurman created FurBaby Real Estate in 2017, with the goal of helping clients find homes that fit both their needs and their pets’ needs.<br /> Both women are passionate about animals. True Floridian Realty and FurBaby Real Estate donated nearly $20,000 to pet rescue organizations in Palm Beach County this year. And for every transaction, the FurBaby Group donates to local animal rescue organizations.<br /> For more info, visit <a href="http://truefloridianrealty.com/furbaby">http://truefloridianrealty.com/furbaby</a>. <br /> McIntyre’s <strong>Delray Beach Real Estate Co.</strong> has merged with Dina L. Branham’s <strong>Deluxe Properties</strong> in Delray Beach. The merger created the Deluxe Division of Delray Beach Real Estate, with eight agents who specialize in luxury real estate. <br /> For information, visit <a href="http://www.delraybeachrealestateco.com/deluxe-division">www.delraybeachrealestateco.com/deluxe-division</a>. Both new business entities have offices at 100 NE Fifth Ave.<br /> <br /> The <strong>Boca Real Estate Investment Club</strong>’s annual holiday party will be on from 6-8 p.m., Dec. 12 at Saltwater Brewery, 1701 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. The cost to attend is $20. For information, call 561-391-7325 or visit <a href="http://www.bocarealestateclub.com">www.bocarealestateclub.com</a>.<br /> <br /> <strong>Brightline</strong>, soon to be <strong>Virgin Trains</strong>, was selected as the Project of the Year by the <strong>Urban Land Institute Southeast Florida/Caribbean</strong> as part of its 2019 Vision Awards. One of five finalists, Brightline was awarded the honor during a ceremony in October in Miami. The award recognized Brightline for its transit-oriented development in South Florida. Launched in 2018, Brightline operates in Florida between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, with plans to expand into Orlando.</p>
<p><br /> Boca Raton-based Florida Peninsula Insurance Co. and its subsidiary, Edison Insurance Co., announced that their president, <strong>Clint Strauch</strong>, was unanimously voted to serve a three-year term on the Florida State University risk management and insurance executive council board. <br /> FSU’s Dr. William T. Hold/National Alliance Program in Risk Management and Insurance was recently ranked No. 3 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. <br /> The council supports and funds initiatives that provide students an industry perspective on the knowledge and skills needed to work in the field.<br /> Strauch’s background also includes a stint as general manager of his own Allstate Insurance agency.</p>
<p><em>Jan Norris contributed to this column.</em></p>
<p><em>Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com</em></p></div>Delray Beach: Food court proposed for downtown areahttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-food-court-proposed-for-downtown-area2018-05-30T17:55:49.000Z2018-05-30T17:55:49.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960796094,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960796094,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960796094?profile=original" /></a><em>The food court proposed a block from the nearly complete iPic in downtown Delray would have 30-some vendors on the ground floor and event space and parking above. <strong>Rendering provided</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Jan Norris and Jane Smith</strong></p>
<p>If its plans are approved, the Menin Development Co. will bring the food hall trend to Delray Beach’s downtown.<br /> The retail developer announced a proposal for the Delray City Market at the former Metropolitan condo site east of the railroad tracks on Southeast Third Avenue, saying it will complement the new iPic theater under construction a block east.<br /> “The existing Metropolitan did not make sense economically,” said Marc Yavinsky, executive vice president of Menin Development. <br /> In December, a Menin division paid $4.6 million for the acre site behind the SunTrust Bank building.<br /> “We always wanted to do a food hall,” Yavinsky said. “Delray Beach has a thriving food and beverage culture. Food halls are the latest trend in dining, where a family can go, every person picks what they want and everyone sits down together to eat.”<br /> Menin has hired Dennis Max, noted South Florida restaurateur, to help design and choose vendors for the hall. His name is reflected on Max’s Harvest in Pineapple Grove and he partnered in Max’s Social, a craft bar and grill on Federal Highway that was replaced by Death and Glory.<br /> The four-story site will be on a scale comparable to Grand Central Market in Los Angeles and, to an extent, Quincy Market in Boston, both of which were researched for the Delray project, Max said. <br /> The 120,000-square-foot building is being designed by Miami architect Jose Gonzales, who also is designing Menin’s Ray Hotel, a project recently approved for Pineapple Grove. Max also is working with Menin on the restaurants going into the hotel.<br /> Delray City Market is “a perfect location and scenario,” Max said. “We have a keystone location in east Delray. We’re fully visible from the avenue.”<br /> The first floor will be the food hall, featuring 30-plus vendors with spaces in the 600-square-foot range, all food- and drink-related, Max said. Seating will be strategically placed throughout, inside and outdoors.<br /> A mezzanine open to the hall below is designed as an event space, with full demonstration kitchens and a bar, ideal for receptions and cooking classes, he said. Live entertainment will be set up there.<br /> Meant for both locals and tourists, the food choices will offer something for everyone. Max, who has owned numerous acclaimed full-service restaurants, says it’s the way people are choosing to dine today and fits a modern lifestyle.<br /> A mix of made-to-order counter service businesses and fresh food retailers — such as a butcher, cheesemonger, chocolatier, baker and produce seller — will be the vendor profiles, he said. The focus will be on locally owned foods and businesses, with no chains involved.<br /> “It’s an incubator for young, emerging chefs,” Max said.<br /> He noted that some of the hot restaurateurs on both East and West coasts have backgrounds as food truck owners who have gone through food halls and eventually opened brick-and-mortar spaces of their own. <br /> Full bars will be set up; an on-site craft brewery also is planned.<br /> The 200 parking spaces on the top three floors will benefit the food hall and help out businesses nearby, Max said. An enclosed rooftop garden growing vegetables, greens and herbs for the restaurants below is proposed.<br /> Menin will submit a site plan package to Delray Beach by the end of June, Yavinsky said.<br /> If plans are approved, the plan is to break ground in the fall.<br /> “This will be a fresh new place for Delray,” Yavinsky said. “It’s a hot trend. It will be curated to be a destination place.”</p></div>