by | September 9, 2025
12 Openings in Florida to Discover This Fall
Explore some of Florida’s brightest debuts—from coffee spots and conversation clubs to print shops and circus-inspired boutique hotels.
North
The Filibuster
Tallahassee
The once-legendary Andrew’s 228 was a deal-making dinner spot beloved as any in the Capital City: a watering hole dating back to the days when Florida was run by Democrats. The draw of this historic hangout continues today at The Filibuster, located in the former site’s revamped downstairs space beneath the current Hayward House. The membership-based conversation club was co-founded by Adam Reiss, nephew of Andy Reiss, the original Andrew’s owner and namesake. The decor features large black-and-white photos and portraits of famous musicians and political figures from eras gone by, evoking Florida history and rock ’n’ roll spirit in equal measures. The layout includes a bar, a record-listening room and a lounge to complete the speakeasy vibe. Don’t get FOMO fretting over membership fees. It costs only $11.11 to join.
Coconut Key Coffee and Sundries
Jacksonville
Overlooking the St. Johns River, this cafe and gift shop was founded by Katie and Matt O’Connell, newcomers to the Mayport neighborhood. Rattan porch chairs and tasseled umbrellas beckon guests to stay for a while. Nibble on community-sourced baked goods like blueberry muffins, croissants and hazelnut truffle bites. Pair a pastry with a specialty drink like the Suns Out Buns Out latte, made with a mix of macadamia nut and coconut syrups, or the Frisky Kitty, a lavender chai. The shop displays a curated selection of beachside must-haves, like Sand Cloud towels, Aloha beach bags and ocean-inspired jewelry, while outside, dolphins play in the water and the St. Johns River Ferry totes beachgoers back and forth to Fort George Island.
‘Drome
Santa Rosa Beach
Nothing wows like a really good bao—a fluffy and delicious Chinese steamed bun often filled with meat, egg or vegetables. Eat one and you might as well eat a hundred: It’s one of the most irresistible, mouth-pleasing foods on the planet. The restaurant was founded by Alabama-based foodies Whitley Dykes and Kunyu Li, who met while living in China. They are among the Southeast’s great ambassadors for bao, bringing a creative edge to the Northeast Chinese flavors they love. The minds behind such witty concepts as The Irritable Bao and the food truck Dumps Like a Truck have expanded to Santa Rosa Beach with ‘Drome: Dumplings, Street Eats & Sips. The breezy site offers generous elbow room for bar and patio dining, daily specials and, yes, boozy boba (bubble tea) for sun-kissed enjoyment.
Bea’s Fine Foods and Jefe’s Fish Wagon
St. Augustine
Husband-and-wife team Jeff and Genie McNally, co-owners of local favorite The Floridian, are doubling down on their latest venture with not one but two new eateries on Anastasia Island. Bea’s Fine Foods + All Day Café, inspired by and named after Genie’s grandmother Bea, takes over the spot formerly known as Gas Full Service Restaurant. Grab breakfast items or lunch during the day, and at night drop by for small plates, entrees and sides served family style. Jefe’s Fish Wagon offers an even more casual vibe, with grab-and-go options available in a burrito, sandwich, salad or bowl. The food truck takes its cues from the classic seafood shacks, snack bars and kiosks that have kept beachcombers fed for decades.
Central
Fisk
Tampa
Meet Fisk, a Nordic-inspired bistro that serves everything from fish pie croquettes and Singapore crispy duck to curried cod with pressed potato and cucumber. Fisk, which is the Swedish word for fish, is a refreshing alternative to typical beach-bar fare thanks to Chef Ebbe Vollmer. Vollmer’s Swedish roots combined with his culinary prowess (he’s also behind Ebbe, the Michelin-starred restaurant next door known for its Nordic cuisine) result in a unique adventure for your taste buds. While Ebbe’s focus delivers an elevated fine dining experience, Fisk offers a homestyle feel. Many of the Scandinavian dishes are odes to Vollmer’s childhood favorites, daring his diners to think (and taste) beyond the usual American offerings.
5801 Print House
St. Petersburg
Alexa Schneider and Lauren Sampson, the couple behind 5801 Print House, are dedicated to creating vintage-inspired apparel and souvenirs that won’t collect dust in the back of your closet. Schneider and Sampson started their screen-printing operation from their garage in 2022 before moving to their first storefront a year later. Now, the pair’s shaking things up again by opening a warehouse space in St. Pete’s arts district that doubles as a shop and a design studio. With everything printed on-site, their collections exude Sunshine State vibes. Their merch ranges from shirts featuring retro maps and illustrations of state parks to embroidered cotton twill hats and citrus-adorned baby onesies. They also lean into Florida’s tourism market by offering magnets, stickers and pennants that are an artistic take on commemorative trinkets, so you can track your home state travels.
Dirty Birds Tiki Bar & Grill
Cocoa Beach
Cocoa Beach just got that much more tropical with the opening of Dirty Birds, a thatched-roof, open-air bar for laid-back nights and island-inspired cocktails. Between custom woodwork, plenty of tiki huts, an outdoor stage and a bar dubbed The Bird’s Nest, it’s a Polynesian oasis that might have you dancing the hula after one too many mai tais. Situated downtown about a block from the beach, Dirty Birds is the newest concept from local restaurateur Daniel Todd, who’s also behind 4th Street Fillin Station and The Alibi Cocktails & Bites. Given Todd’s knack for knowing the recipe for a fun night out, there’s also no shortage of buzzy sips and festive bites, which blend South Pacific culture into the Cocoa Beach scene.
Cheeky’s
St. Petersburg
Part New England clam shack, part Southern eatery, this laid-back restaurant is dedicated to all things seafood. Cheeky’s menu hits every craving—whether it’s a New Orleans po’boy, a basket of fried Florida shrimp or a variety of oysters. The latter are available raw, grilled or deep fried, and, naturally, taste best washed down with one of Cheeky’s cocktails, icy beers or its signature salt-and-vinegar martini garnished with an olive-wrapped anchovy. Designed to be a neighborhood gathering spot, it opened its doors in the heart of St. Pete’s Grand Central District in May. With an outdoor patio opening soon and a lively horseshoe-shaped bar, it’s easy to spend an afternoon or evening enjoying its chill coastal ambiance.
South
Cirque St. Armands Beachside
Sarasota
What happens when the Greatest Show on Earth inspires a boutique hotel? Nothing short of spectacular. The newly opened Cirque St. Armands Beachside brings theatrics and flair to Sarasota’s Lido Key with its embrace of the city’s deep history with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus—in 1920, co-founder John Ringling brought the brand to Sarasota, which served as its winter headquarters. The result is a 135-room respite that is a visual extravaganza with ostrich-feathered chandeliers, poster-size historic images of circus animals and showstopping graphic textiles. At Ringside, the signature restaurant that peers out over the beach, a menu of Gulf Coast seafood favorites awaits alongside murals showcasing the daredevil acts of trapeze artists.
The Shelborne
Miami Beach
In its midcentury heyday, Miami Beach’s Collins Avenue strip was the seaside playground to Hollywood’s biggest stars. Today, this iconic stretch of Florida land is gearing up for a reincarnation, beginning with the reopening of The Shelborne By Proper. Simply known as The Shelborne when it opened in 1940, the property underwent a $100-million renovation that has repositioned the 251-room beachfront destination for a new era of luxury and design. Guest rooms capitalize on modern aesthetics with a warm, earthy palette. Lauded Chef Abram Bissell—a Florida Keys native whose work includes the Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park—creates coastal-inspired dishes within the hotel’s eponymous restaurant, The Shelborne.
Good Night John Boy
Delray Beach
The 1970s groove is back—and this time for good (we hope). Nightclub concept Good Night John Boy has debuted in Delray Beach, the sixth location of the Ohio-based fun factory. Dubbed “Studio 54 meets your grandparents’ funky 1970s basement,” Goodnight John Boy’s retro-styled vibes include shag carpeting, spinning disco balls, wood paneling and, yes, posters of actors Farrah Fawcett, Burt Reynolds and Shaun Cassidy. The club, which borrows its name from the catchphrase of the popular TV series “The Waltons,” serves cocktails with ’70s-inspired names like Mood Ring and Disco Punch. Theme nights pop up here and there, including the popular Gong Show Karaoke, where contestants belt out their favorite ballads and boogie the night away.
goodnightjb.com
Eataly
Aventura
Ciao, Miami! Florida’s first Eataly has arrived at Aventura Mall, bringing authentic Italian marketplace energy to South Florida. The sprawling 30,000-square-foot space features an impressive selection of imported goods—from Calabrian chili peppers to aged Parmigiano Reggiano and crunchy biscotti—alongside two distinct restaurants serving exclusive made-in-Italy products. La Pizza & La Pasta specializes in Neapolitan-style pies and traditional pasta, while Il Pastaio offers front-row seats to watch pasta makers crafting intricate shapes at a long counter. The market experience feels genuinely Italian, with coffee from Lavazza, Roman-style pizza and fluffy bomboloni—Italian donuts stuffed with creamy pistachio gelato. You’ll also find curated classes at cooking school La Scuola along with a temperature-controlled wine room stocked with carefully curated Italian vintages.
