The quarter at a glance
What changed
Broward’s first quarter spread new dining choices across several distinct markets. Hallandale added Signor Sassi and an Oakberry location, Dania Pointe gained Mister O1, and Coral Springs welcomed The Knife and Mitch’s. For an owner, the useful comparison is where those businesses compete for the same meal. A bagel cafe, a steakhouse and a destination Italian restaurant should not share one demand assumption.
Winter closures affected downtown Fort Lauderdale as well as Weston, Coral Springs and Pompano Beach. At the same time, Huizenga Park’s reopening gave downtown another public destination, while Pompano gained a waterfront restaurant and a marine attraction. The operator’s job is to connect those changes to actual occasions: lunch after an outing, dinner before an event, or a regular neighborhood meal.
[1][11][4][7][10][2][8]Documented opening entries
Q1 2026
Includes identified reopenings, relocations and residencies. Each is labeled in the inventory. View the entries.Documented closing entries
Q1 2026
Confirmed closures and location exits. Relocations and ended residencies are labeled.Hotel occupancy
March 2026
+5.5% year over year
Average daily room rate
March 2026
+5.4% year over year
Revenue per available room
March 2026
+11.2% year over year
Inventory counts describe this report’s documented businesses, not total market openings, closures or net growth. Each demand figure carries its own reporting period.
Highlights
- Black Jack’s opened in Flagler Village on January 26. [1]
- Signor Sassi opened March 14 in Hallandale; Mister O1 opened March 10 at Dania Pointe. [11]
- Coral Springs added The Knife in February and Mitch’s on March 23. [4][7]
- Huizenga Park’s reopening celebration was January 24. [10]
- Bahama Breeze in Pembroke Pines closed March 2, earlier than the widely circulated April deadline. [2]
- Oakberry’s Hallandale location began soft service February 15, before its March grand opening. [8]
Our read
What the quarter tells us
Destination dinners and routine visits need different forecasts
Hallandale’s additions show two distinct restaurant businesses taking shape in the same city. Signor Sassi depends on guests choosing a particular dinner; Oakberry serves a shorter, more frequent stop. Before copying a nearby opening, identify the meal and visit frequency your own concept needs. Compare household access, parking and takeaway convenience alongside dinner reservations. A strong Saturday does not solve an empty weekday afternoon. [11][8]
Coral Springs is adding several meal occasions
The Knife and Mitch’s entered the market in different parts of Coral Springs. Owners should map their competition by breakfast, lunch and dinner before drawing conclusions from opening headlines. A new lunch option can change office routines without affecting a celebration restaurant. Watch transaction count and repeat visits by daypart, then adjust hours or menu depth where the sales show a change. [4][7]
Public destinations create an opportunity to convert a visit
Huizenga Park’s reopening gives downtown operators another reason to review pedestrian routes and event timing. A nearby attraction creates potential foot traffic; it does not guarantee a dining purchase. Make the route from the park to the restaurant obvious, keep the offer legible from outside and plan service for a short burst of arrivals. Measure whether event days actually produce incremental checks. [10]
The closure story reaches beyond one dining district
Quarterly departures include independent restaurants and a chain location across several municipalities. Those facts establish turnover, not a single explanation for it. An owner reviewing a weak unit should separate changes in guest count, average check, rent and operating execution. A landlord reviewing a replacement tenant should ask for a plan tied to that specific address, rather than assuming the prior business proves the site cannot work. [3][13][2]
The local inventory
Area by area
Openings and permanent closings appear alongside dated hotel and development milestones. Planned openings are labeled as plans. Sources sit beside each entry.
Fort Lauderdale: downtown, Flagler Village and central neighborhoods
2 openings · 5 closingsA rum-focused restaurant joined Flagler Village while several downtown and neighborhood operators left. Huizenga Park adds a public destination to the downtown map.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Jack’s Rum Bar & Grille505 NE 3rd Avenue, Flagler Village | Opening · Opened Second location of the rum-led restaurant. | [1] | |
| Drip CoffeeFort Lauderdale | Closing · Location permanently closed Permanent location closure. | [3] | |
| MykonosFort Lauderdale | Closing · Location permanently closed Permanent location closure. | Late January 2026 | [3] |
| The Den Sports Bar & LoungeFort Lauderdale | Closing · Location permanently closed Permanent location closure. | Mid-January 2026 | [3] |
| Jerk Machine317 SW 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale | Closing · Location closed; relocation discussed This location closed; owner discussed relocating. | January 2026 | [13] |
| Howl at the Moon270 SE 6th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale | Closing · Location permanently closed Piano bar closed. | [13] | |
| Mr. Smash Burgers at Huizenga ParkHuizenga Park, Fort Lauderdale | Opening · Food truck service launched Food-truck service began with the park reopening. | [9] |
Fort Lauderdale Intracoastal and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
1 openings · 1 closingsA hotel-based waterfront restaurant opened. The Mickey’s entry records a permanent departure confirmed by its owner, rather than treating an inspection shutdown as a permanent closure.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| G&B DocksideResidence Inn Fort Lauderdale Intracoastal | Opening · Opened Waterfront seafood restaurant. | January 2026 | [12] |
| Mickey’s Downtown Bistro4331 N Ocean Drive, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea | Closing · Location permanently closed Owner confirmed it would not reopen after the shutdown. | [13] |
Hallandale Beach and Dania Beach
3 openings · 0 closingsThe quarter brought destination dining, pizza and acai bowls to separate centers. Each needs a different read on parking, visit frequency and local competition.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| OakberryAtlantic Village, 801 N Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach | Opening · Soft opening; grand opening in March Grand opening followed March 21. | [8] | |
| Signor SassiOasis Hallandale, 1006 E Hallandale Beach Boulevard | Opening · Opened Italian restaurant. | [11] | |
| Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza1807 Pointe Boulevard, Dania Pointe | Opening · Opened Dania Beach pizzeria. | [11] |
Coral Springs
2 openings · 1 closingsThe Knife entered Coral Square while Mitch’s opened at Cornerstone. These projects add different dining occasions rather than a single interchangeable category of restaurant seats.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Knife9231 W Atlantic Boulevard, Coral Square | Opening · Opened Argentine-style steakhouse. | February 2026, open by February 26 | [4] |
| Mitch’s Downtown Bagel Cafe3334 N University Drive, Cornerstone | Opening · Opened Bagel cafe and deli. | [7] | |
| Mr. Beefy’s Subs & Seafood8040 Wiles Road, Coral Springs | Closing · Location permanently closed Restaurant closed. | Late February 2026 | [13] |
Pompano Beach
1 openings · 2 closingsPompano added waterfront dining and a jellyfish attraction while losing two food operators. Keep the waterfront guest market separate from inland resident demand.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lola’s on the WaterSands Harbor, 125 N Riverside Drive, Pompano Beach | Opening · Opened Waterfront restaurant at Sands Harbor. | January 2026, open by January 19 | [5] |
| Hen and Hog Smokehouse CantinaPompano Beach | Closing · Location permanently closed Permanent location closure. | [3] | |
| Pierogi One898 N Federal Highway, Pompano Beach | Closing · Location permanently closed Pompano Beach location closed. | [6] |
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jellyfish MuseumPompano Beach | Tourism & Transport · Attraction opened Marine-life attraction opened. | March 2026 | [12] |
Pembroke Pines and Weston
1 openings · 2 closingsA new tiki venue arrived in Pembroke Pines during the same quarter that Bahama Breeze left. Weston lost La Torretta. These events do not establish identical replacement demand.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maya SpeaktikiPembroke Pines | Opening · Opened Tiki-themed dining and cocktails. | [12] | |
| Bahama Breeze11000 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines | Closing · Location permanently closed Closed before the announced April conversion deadline. | [2] | |
| La Torretta Italian GrillWeston | Closing · Location permanently closed Permanent location closure. | [3] |
Regulations
Rules affecting the operating plan
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smaller-restaurant liquor-license proposal stopsFlorida | Regulation · Proposal did not pass SB 392, which proposed changing the size and capacity requirements for special restaurant beverage licenses, died in committee. Do not base a lease or floor plan on that proposed change. | [16] |
At quarter-end
What to watch next
The outlook below reflects information available at the close of Q1 2026. An announced date is a target, not a confirmed opening.
Zhō at Dania Pointe
A March report described a signed lease for Zhō and a target opening in the fourth quarter. This is a planned restaurant, not a first-quarter opening. Follow construction and hiring before using it in a near-term competitive forecast. [14]
Cornerstone’s next stage
Mitch’s gives owners another operating business to study at Cornerstone. Watch repeat visits and the pattern of parking use as the tenant mix develops. Evaluate each additional opening on its actual service date. [7]
Sweetwaters at Huizenga Park
January reporting placed the park’s sit-down restaurant, Sweetwaters, on the 2026 opening calendar. At first-quarter close, that was a future restaurant rather than an operating dining room. Nearby operators should monitor the confirmed service date and the park’s event schedule separately. [9]
Decisions to take back to the business
- Map new competitors by meal occasion and driving distance. Separate breakfast, takeaway lunch and destination dinner.
- Review eight weeks of transactions by daypart before changing opening hours in response to a competitor.
- For downtown businesses, compare park event days with similar non-event days using covers and labor hours.
- Use a dated opening log for every proposed competitor. Keep soft openings, grand openings and future announcements in separate fields.
Common questions
Broward: the practical questions
Which new restaurants opened in Hallandale and Dania in Q1 2026?
This inventory confirms Oakberry in Hallandale, Signor Sassi at Oasis Hallandale and Mister O1 at Dania Pointe. Oakberry began soft service in February; its March grand opening is not a second opening. Dates are attached to the entries.
When did the Pembroke Pines Bahama Breeze close?
The restaurant closed March 2, 2026, according to the later reporting reviewed for this inventory. That puts the event in the first quarter. Earlier April forecasts should not be used as the actual closing date.
Are restaurant inspection closures included in this Broward review?
A temporary inspection shutdown alone is excluded. Mickey’s Downtown Bistro is included because reporting also recorded the owner’s confirmation that the restaurant would not reopen. This distinction prevents temporary enforcement events from inflating the permanent-closing list.
Research notes
Sources and coverage
Month-by-month opening and permanent-closing searches were supplemented with municipality coverage, local owner interviews and tourism announcements. First service determines the quarter when it is known. Later sources may verify an earlier event. The inventory includes documented events, not every licensed food business or an official count of market growth.
Coverage limits and unresolved items
- Hellenic and Bar Betty were operating by early January, but the available evidence did not establish whether they began service in December or January.
- Chez Vincent was described as closing during winter without a sufficiently precise quarter boundary. Basilic’s Lauderdale-by-the-Sea closing also lacks a verified event month.
- A restaurant described as newly open in a later roundup was excluded if the first-service quarter could not be established.
- Small cafes, takeout businesses and unpublicized closures may be underrepresented. No absence of entries is presented as proof that a municipality had no openings or closings.
- Hotel figures describe STR's Fort Lauderdale market in the final month, not a calculated Broward quarterly average.
- Visit Lauderdale's April 1 release reported a higher preliminary March occupancy figure. This review uses the later March STR comparison.
Event dates determine which quarter an entry belongs to. Source publication dates and this report’s publication date are recorded separately. Later reporting may verify an earlier event; it does not move that event into a later quarter.
- Black Jack’s Rum Bar & Grille, with $1,000 rums and prime rib, drops anchor in Fort Lauderdale ↗South Florida Sun Sentinel · Published Jan 28, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- 8 beloved Broward restaurants that closed in 2026 ↗Miami New Times · Published Oct 6, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- See the 10 South Florida restaurants that closed: December-January edition ↗South Florida Sun Sentinel · Published Feb 18, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Coral Square Debuts Full-Service Restaurant as The Knife Opens Argentinean Steakhouse Experience ↗Coral Springs Talk · Published Feb 26, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Lola’s on the Water Opens at Sands Harbor A Fresh Chapter for a Familiar Waterfront Spot in Pompano Beach | Pompano Beach Insider ↗Pompano Beach Insider · Published Jan 19, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- 9 South Florida restaurants that permanently closed: March/April 2026 edition ↗South Florida Sun Sentinel · Published May 6, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Mitch’s Downtown Brings a Classic New York Deli Experience to Coral Springs ↗Coral Springs Talk · Published Mar 23, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Oakberry Now Open in Hallandale Beach at Atlantic Village ↗Business Debut · Published Apr 3, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- ‘The park’s alive.’ Fort Lauderdale’s Huizenga Park reopens with music, puppies ↗Miami Herald · Published Jan 24, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Grand Reopening Celebration | Huizenga Park ↗Huizenga Park Foundation · Publication date not supplied · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- 5 New Fort Lauderdale Restaurants Opening Spring 2026 ↗Miami New Times · Published Apr 29, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- What’s New in Greater Fort Lauderdale This Spring and Early Summer ↗Visit Lauderdale · Published May 13, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Closed for business: See the 6 South Florida restaurants that permanently shuttered in winter 2026 ↗South Florida Sun Sentinel · Published Mar 25, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Zhō Pan-Asian Restaurant Breaking Ground at Dania Pointe in 2026 ↗Browardist · Published Mar 23, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Monthly summary report, March 2026 ↗Monroe County Tourist Development Council / STR · Publication date not supplied · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- SB 392 (2026): Issuance of Special Beverage Licenses, bill history ↗Florida Senate · Publication date not supplied · Checked Oct 30, 2026