Parkland, which is not known for it’s nightlife, is about to get a major boost to it’s entertainment and lifestyle scene as a brand new American sports gastropub called Dear Olivia is set to open their doors this spring.
Paul Greenberg, the co-founder of American Social, along with married restaurateurs Eddie and Christina Pozzuoli, who are known for Prezzo and Corvina Seafood Grill, have teamed up to create a new nightlife destination in a city that needs an injection of nightlife energy.
Dear Olivia takes over the 6,400-square-foot space at 7805 N. University Drive that was once home to Deja Blue, a Mediterranean spot that closed it’s doors back in December 15th after 8 years of operation.
Greenberg, who co-created American Social on Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas Boulevard in 2012, is looking to recreate the same success with Dear Olivia.
Greenberg says that Dear Olivia is “American comfort-food restaurant that happens to play live sports”.
“It’s elevated American comfort food with our own twist on certain items,” Greenberg said, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “You can go there to catch a game, or to have a nice steak or date night, or just to catch a nightcap after dinner. The emphasis will be on parents who eat out with their kids.”
Greenberg named the restaurant after his 9-year old daughter, Olivia.
“She freaked out when I told her the restaurant’s name,” Greenberg said. “My other two boys were giving me s— the whole time. But Olivia is my only girl, and she wants a burger on Day 1.”
Pozzuoli says that while the venue will close at midnight on the weekends and 11 pm on weeknights, they plan to keep the doors open for major sporting events.
“Out west, there isn’t a huge demand for a bar atmosphere,” Pozzuoli said. “Heck, even Mizner Park dies down around 11 p.m. It’s not our intention to court super late-night crowds. But when I ran [the late] Tavolino Della Notte [in Coral Springs], I noticed folks would finish dinner at 10 p.m. and then it was, ‘Whose house are we going to for a nightcap?’ Well, we wanted a great place for people to enjoy one or two post-dinner drinks.”
According to Greenberg, Dear Olivia’s menu of 12 craft cocktails will be “minimalist” and inspired by “cool little Spanish cocktail bars” he visited over the summer, and will include popular items such as a smoky old fashioned, espresso martinis and a number of mocktails.
Cheers to Parkland and the incoming arrival of Dear Olivia.
Find out more at their official website.
