12 New Openings in Florida This Summer
Grab a bite at an open-air food hall, sniff around a boutique perfumery or swim where the bougainvillea blooms at these 12 new openings around the state.
What’s New in North Florida
Real Cool Time Records Underground
Tallahassee
Opened as an annex of Real Cool Time Records and adjacent to picturesque Lake Ella, this retail archive is a wonderworld of cult classic paperbacks, vintage concert tees, LPs, CDs, VHS tapes, DVD sets, collectible comics and posters. “It’s like the old arcade place without the arcade games,” says Matt Sampson, who launched the original used record store four years ago. But the new Underground expansion of the shop is also a culture hub with frequent live gigs from local indie artists. “There’s a whole circuit of indie buzz bands we don’t see in town anymore,” Sampson says. “We’re trying to pick up the slack.”
instagram.com/rctrecords
Dune House Hotel & Spa
Atlantic Beach
A complete reboot of the old One Ocean Resort & Spa, Dune House gleams anew as a chic destination, with 193 rooms dressed in newly imagined coastal-mod decor and a neutral color palette. Along with coveted ocean views, the property includes a spa, beachside pool and four new dining concepts coming this summer: the Coastal Farmer; Cafe Dune; the Soothsayer, a poolside tiki bar; and Sea Turtle Scoops for a cooling ice cream after a romp in the sun. The venue also boasts ample space—10,000 square feet—for events and more casual get-togethers, and a retail showcase right outside the hotel that keeps it local, with an array of popular Atlantic Beach vendors.
dunehousehotelandspa.com
The Block Jax
Jacksonville
Jacksonville’s first-ever open-air food hall, mainly built out of repurposed shipping containers, is home to outposts of some of the city’s hottest food vendors—including James Beard nominee Chancho King, Stackd Burgers, Darkside Tacos, the Hungry Owl. The 10,000-square-foot pavilion is outfitted with a 30-foot LED projection wall for sports events and movies, a kids play zone and a dog park. Open Wednesdays through Sundays, the entertainment hub is thoroughly family-oriented but also has an upstairs area for adults only, and a stage built for live musical performances featuring local and touring acts like The Band Be Easy and Masonary.
theblockjax.com
Emerald Stitchery
Santa Rosa Beach
Aware that the Panhandle was a needlepoint retail desert, Memphis couple Shea and Kyle Taylor saw 30A as an ideal spot to launch their first brick-and-mortar store after two years of marketing solely online. The Seagrove Plaza shop is a showcase for hundreds of canvas designs, donning tongue-in-cheek sayings like “WTF: Welcome to Florida,” many of which are Shay’s own creations under her brand Threaded and Tipsy. “We have a lot of beachy canvases for sure,” says Shea, who has strong family ties in the area. “We just love it down there.” Shop the silk, wool and cotton threads and accessories or level up your skills with classes and finishing services, which turns a completed canvas into a pillow or ornament.
emeraldstitchery.com
What’s New in Central Florida
Super Memory Niche Fragrances
St. Petersburg
Merryck Walker suggests bringing a friend and a bottle of wine to the boutique fragrance shop she opened in November—that way you can sip and sniff your way through every aroma. A former sommelier, Walker treats fragrances like fine wines that are meant to be explored slowly. She has curated shelves of varied vessels that evolve from “bright and playful” to “dark and moody.” “Every scent here has been highly vetted and chosen for a reason,” Walker says, including one of her bestsellers from local perfume house Rica Fragrance called ¡Qué Rica!, with notes of coconut cream and jasmine.
supermemory.us
Perla’s Pizza
Winter Park
What was once old is new again. Chef Michael Collantes has brought back the pizza joint he first opened in Ivanhoe Village five years ago, ushering a new era of the common pie right next door to his Michelin-starred, 10-seat omakase experience, Soseki. Perla’s unexpected topping combinations create inventive flavors, from a classic pepperoni pie with banana slices on top to another one, nicknamed Mikey’s Hot Double Down, that’s finished with jalapeño, basil, hot honey and dollops of lemon ricotta. The boutique pie shop, which identifies as “Florida Man pizza,” is also a vinyl record and cocktail bar.
perlaspizzafl.com
Central Park St. Pete
St. Petersburg
Nearly five years in the making, St. Pete’s five-story food hall from Hi Hospitality Group finally welcomed its first guests in February. With several food stops and a few bars, this spot lets you grab a burrito from Don Ricardo’s, snag a pastrami sandwich from Palm Avenue Deli and sip a cocktail from 27° North all in one trip. “Don’t be afraid to order from three different concepts—that’s the whole point,” says Natalia Levey, founder of Hi Hospitality Group. More openings are on the way, including The Meadows, a gelato-and-sweets concept, and Bar Hana, which recently opened on the rooftop, giving you something new to sample on every floor.
centralparkstpete.com
Harlow Grove
Winter Garden
Slip into a booth on the first-floor lounge with a pre-dinner cocktail like the Pistache, Yo! or the Notorious F.I.G., then follow the grand staircase to an open-air terrace, where you’ll share crowd favorites like the goat cheese croquettes and braised short rib under bistro lights and century-old oak branches. Inspired by The Wilder, a favorite Fort Lauderdale haunt, this two-story restaurant brings American fare to the Smith & Main complex, just steps from the charm of Plant Street. “(Harlow Grove) is designed for conversation, for another round and for staying longer than you planned,” says Natalie Lange of Knallhart Management Group.
harlowgrovewg.com
What’s New in South Florida
Altamura Trattoria
Miami
Every meal at this Doral eatery begins with Il Nostro Benvenuto, a complimentary welcome bite of chickpea flatbread with ricotta and artichokes. The small gesture is just one way the Milan-born husband-and-wife team, Massimo and Elisabetta Tundo, are showcasing regional Italian cuisine and hospitality. Dig into time-honored recipes, from handmade pastas like spaghetti chitarra with San Marzano tomato and stracciatella to inventive pies from the Zza’ Zza’ section of the menu. Following the success of a concept at the Miami Design District, the couple’s new restaurant captures the spirit of Northern Italy and the country’s Southern islands.
altamuratrattoria.com
Heyday Cookshop
Naples
Chef Kayla Pfeiffer didn’t want to treat music as background noise, so she created a restaurant around it, blending a chef residency with a Hi-Fi vinyl listening lounge. “A dish can feel completely different depending on what’s playing,” says the 2025 James Beard semifinalist and Food Network’s 2024 “Chopped” champion. Heyday—a word that evokes nostalgia and the idea of a golden age—embraces Pfeiffer’s philosophy of creating an experience where guests can listen, pay attention and be present. The menu contrasts familiar favorites with a modern lens, like a Peking duck snack wrap inspired by moo shu, a Chinese stir-fry, or a duck meatloaf riffing on childhood comfort.
heydaycookshop.com
The Vineta Hotel
Palm Beach
Long synonymous with opulence and prestige, Palm Beach is now home to a reimagined, century-old Mediterranean Revival landmark—one that feels equal parts historic and refreshingly chic. Just off Worth Avenue, Oetker Hotels’ first U.S. outpost embraces a sense of grandeur with a playful edge, nodding to the island’s luminosity through fragrant courtyards and sunlit poolside spaces lined with bougainvillea. Its 41 guest rooms feel airy and understated, layered in white-and-blue linens and terrazzo floors. At the retro-glam pool house, light bites are served beside a mosaic-tiled pool, while the indoor-outdoor restaurant, Coco’s, channels the South of France with dishes like sea bass and truffle-laced pastas.
oetkerhotels.com/hotels/the-vineta-hotel/
Florida Room
Fort Lauderdale
After playing a game at the world’s first pickleball stadium, The Fort, relax nearby in a breezy, sun-dappled venue styled after a classic Florida room. “Top Chef” alum and James Beard–nominated chefs Janine Booth and Jeff McInnis realize this vision inside the sporting retreat. “The Florida Room is our interpretation of what Florida used to feel like before everything became overdesigned and overcomplicated,” says McInnis. The menu is a love letter to Southern comfort with a coastal twist. Think: double buttermilk crispy fried chicken and buttermilk panna cotta with fresh passion fruit. “(The goal is) flavors that feel layered, bright and intentional while still delivering the familiarity of classic Southern cooking,” he says.
floridaroomftl.com
