The quarter at a glance
What changed
West Palm Beach added Del Mar, Sports & Rec, Garden Butcher and another Field of Greens while City Cellar and Morton’s ended long runs. NORA also lost Juliana’s after its November arrival. These were different businesses with different sites and histories. The district-level story is turnover and a changing mix of occasions. It is not enough evidence to call the entire restaurant market strong or weak.
Elsewhere, Jupiter added Zunzibar and Sweet Fish, Boynton gained Ford’s Garage, and Wellington gained Lewis Prime Grill. Delray lost Lefkes and True Vegan’s Atlantic Avenue location, while Tin Fish exited west Boca. For owners planning a summer launch, the practical work is to build repeat resident business and a weekly cash plan. Opening publicity helps fill a first weekend; it does not establish the sales needed through the rest of the year.
[2][19][9][14][26][20][23][25]Documented opening entries
Q2 2026
Includes identified reopenings, relocations and residencies. Each is labeled in the inventory. View the entries.Documented closing entries
Q2 2026
Confirmed closures and location exits. Relocations and ended residencies are labeled.Gross bed tax collections
April-June 2026
+11.3% year over year
Hotel occupancy
June 2026
+3.6% year over year
Average daily room rate
June 2026
+10.8% year over year
Visitors
January-June 2026, first half
+6.4% 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
- Del Mar opened April 7 and Sports & Rec opened June 16 at NORA. [2][19]
- City Cellar closed May 24; Morton’s West Palm Beach closed May 31. [9]
- ‘O Munaciello opened May 11, despite much of its coverage appearing in July. [14]
- Jupiter added Zunzibar on April 27 and Sweet Fish on May 18. [26][20]
- Tin Fish Boca and Lefkes Estiatorio closed in May. [23]
- Vanderbilt acquired two more campus-area lots in June, a land-assembly step. [25]
Our read
What the quarter tells us
Opening activity and closures shared the same district
NORA gained a Mediterranean restaurant and a sports bar, but Juliana’s closed in June. Evaluate the unit and the daypart instead of using the district’s promotion as a sales forecast. A landlord’s occupancy story, a restaurant’s sales story and its cash contribution are three separate sets of numbers. [2][19][8]
A familiar operator still needs a local sales plan
Lewis Prime Grill, Ford’s Garage and Zunzibar arrived with recognizable operating identities. Brand awareness may shorten the introduction, but the first months still have to prove weekly demand. Plan the labor ramp, food purchasing and manager coverage against completed covers. Do not staff every summer weekday as if the grand-opening crowd will return at the same time next week. [12][6][26]
A permanent site exit can be a business relocation
True Vegan left Atlantic Avenue and announced a West Palm Beach move. D’Best also closed its Boca location while discussing a new chapter. These are real site changes, but they should not be written as the disappearance of the entire business. For a buyer reviewing either footprint, confirm the rights being offered and whether branding, equipment and recipes are part of the transaction. [24][9]
Prepared food broadens the sales mix
Garden Butcher added a West Palm Beach location during June. Take-home meals, counter service and dine-in demand should each be measured. If prepared food is part of an expansion, set production pars around sell-through and waste, not a display that looks full all day. Track the margin after packaging and delivery costs so convenience sales do not hide weak contribution. [7]
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.
West Palm Beach
5 openings · 3 closingsThe largest documented changes combined new concepts, prepared food and closures of established full-service sites.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del MarNORA, West Palm Beach | Opening · Opened Cameron Mitchell Restaurants added a Mediterranean restaurant. | [2] | |
| ‘O Munaciello8170 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach area | Opening · Opened Florence-origin pizzeria opened in the western trade area. | [14] | |
| Garden ButcherWest Palm Beach | Opening · Opened Prepared-food market and café expanded from Boca. | [7] | |
| Sports & RecNORA, West Palm Beach | Opening · Opened Sports bar joined NORA’s food and beverage roster. | [19] | |
| Field of Greens, ClearlakeClearlake, West Palm Beach | Opening · Opened Operator confirmed an additional West Palm Beach location. | June 2026, confirmed June 26 | [5] |
| City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill700 S. Rosemary Avenue, CityPlace, West Palm Beach | Closing · Permanently closed Restaurant closed at the end of its lease. | [9] | |
| Morton’s The Steakhouse777 S. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach | Closing · Location closed West Palm Beach restaurant ended service. | [9] | |
| Juliana’s Pizza, NORANORA, West Palm Beach | Closing · Permanently closed NORA location closed after opening in November 2025. | June 2026 | [8] |
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt campus land acquisitionTamarind Avenue and Datura Street, West Palm Beach | Development · Land acquired University purchased two lots for $6.25 million to complete part of its planned campus site. | June 2026 | [25] |
Boca Raton
2 openings · 2 closingsNew chain locations opened while established independent sites changed hands or exited.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outback Steakhouse, Glades RoadGlades Road, Boca Raton | Opening · Opened New Outback location began service. | [16] | |
| Talkin’ Tacos493 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton | Opening · Opened Taco concept opened across from Mizner Park; its launch agency confirmed completed service by June 10. | June 2026 | [22] |
| Tin Fish Boca9101 Lakeridge Boulevard, west Boca Raton | Closing · Permanently closed Seafood restaurant ended its west Boca run. | May 2026 | [23] |
| D’Best Sandwich Shop, Dixie Highway5201 N. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton | Closing · Location closed; relocation discussed This entry records the existing site’s exit, not a confirmed end to the brand. | [9] |
Delray Beach
0 openings · 2 closingsTwo Atlantic Avenue-area exits affected different formats. A proposed replacement or relocation is not an operating restaurant.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| True Vegan, Atlantic Avenue123 E. Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach | Closing · Location closed; relocation announced Operator announced a move to Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach. | May 2026 | [24] |
| Lefkes EstiatorioDelray Beach Market, Delray Beach | Closing · Permanently closed Greek restaurant ceased operations. | May 2026 | [23] |
Boynton Beach
1 openings · 0 closingsFord’s Garage added a full-service family dining option.View activity and sources
Jupiter
3 openings · 0 closingsThe quarter combined a waterfront concept with independent neighborhood changes.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zunzibar80 Intracoastal Point Drive, Jupiter | Opening · Opened Waterfront bar and restaurant joined the Jupiter market. | [26] | |
| Little Moir’s Sweet Fish6390 W. Indiantown Road, Jupiter | Opening · Opened Little Moir’s added a new neighborhood restaurant. | [20] | |
| Hibiscus StrEATeryJupiter | Opening · Converted and reopened Former fish-market and production space changed into a restaurant. | May 2026 | [20] |
Palm Beach Gardens
1 openings · 2 closingsA new steak-and-seafood restaurant opened while two existing concepts ended service.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie V’s Prime SeafoodLegacy Place, Palm Beach Gardens | Opening · Opened Darden’s seafood and steak restaurant entered the market. | April 2026 | [4][15] |
| Original Pancake House, Northlake4364 Northlake Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens | Closing · Location closed Northlake restaurant ended service. | [13] | |
| Prezzo, PGA Boulevard4520 PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens | Closing · Concept closed for replacement Location was slated to become Eddie & Vinny’s Coastal Italian. | [18][1] |
Lake Worth Beach, Lantana and western Lake Worth area
0 openings · 3 closingsLocation exits affected a pizza restaurant and a soup-focused independent.View activity and sources
Area context [13]
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lantana Pizza467 Greynolds Circle, Lantana | Closing · Location closed; relocation planned Existing restaurant site closed while owners sought another location. | [13] | |
| SofraLake Avenue and S. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Beach | Closing · Permanently closed Turkish restaurant ended service downtown. | May 2026 | [1] |
| 2 Chef’s Souparee6338 Lantana Road, western Lake Worth area | Closing · Permanently closed Restaurant ended service. | [13] |
Wellington
1 openings · 0 closingsLewis Prime Grill began service and Kura marked its grand-opening period.View activity and sources
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Prime Grill10120 Forest Hill Boulevard, Wellington | Opening · Opened Lewis family introduced a grill format in Wellington. | May 2026 | [12] |
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kura Revolving Sushi Bar1349 S. State Road 7, Bay 101, Wellington | Venue milestone · Grand opening after earlier soft service April grand opening is documented. First service was already reported by April 7; its exact quarter boundary is unresolved. | April 2026 | [10][11] |
Regulations
Rules affecting the operating plan
| Business or project | What changed | Timing | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| DBPR issues operations-charge guidanceFlorida | Regulation · Guidance issued DBPR issued implementation guidance for the July 1 fee-disclosure rules. Check menus, ordering sites and POS receipts before the deadline. | [30] |
At quarter-end
What to watch next
The outlook below reflects information available at the close of Q2 2026. An announced date is a target, not a confirmed opening.
Eddie & Vinny’s conversion
Prezzo’s PGA Boulevard location was set for a new Italian concept after June 30. Treat the planned restaurant as a replacement, and wait for confirmation of service before counting an opening. [18]
Phat Boy Sushi’s Gardens project
The operator was targeting a summer opening near Downtown Palm Beach Gardens. A target date is useful for recruiting and competitor monitoring, but not proof of an operating business. [17]
Sundy Village’s next restaurants
The Delray DDA listed Double Knot, Drinking Pig BBQ and Maman as future arrivals in May. Keep those restaurants separate from Barcelona’s already completed opening. [3]
True Vegan’s proposed West Palm move
The announced Belvedere Road relocation could change the business’s parking and neighborhood reach. The Q2 record establishes the Delray exit and future plan, not completion of the new location. [24]
Decisions to take back to the business
- Prepare a rolling 13-week cash forecast for a summer opening, with a lower-sales case for weekdays.
- Check closed premises against lease expiration, assignment rights and actual equipment condition before treating them as acquisition opportunities.
- Measure food waste and packaging costs separately for prepared-food and takeout sales.
- Track NORA competitors by service period and format; do not assume every new restaurant serves the same audience.
Common questions
Palm Beach County: the practical questions
Did ‘O Munaciello open in July 2026?
No. The July 31 Palm Beach Post report states that the West Palm Beach location opened May 11. It belongs in Q2 even though much of the publicity arrived later.
Which established West Palm Beach restaurants closed in Q2?
The documented exits include City Cellar on May 24 and Morton’s on May 31. Juliana’s at NORA also closed in June. These individual closures do not establish a countywide failure rate.
Did True Vegan close its business permanently?
The Delray location closed in May, and the operator announced plans to move to West Palm Beach. This review records a location exit and a proposed relocation rather than claiming the entire business ended.
Research notes
Sources and coverage
Documented inventory assembled from month-by-month opening and permanent-closure searches, municipality searches, local reporting and operator announcements. Events are assigned by service date or stated milestone, not article date. Reopenings, relocations and concept replacements are labeled. Planned openings and temporary inspection closures are excluded from completed-opening and permanent-closure claims. These are documented changes, not a countywide census or a measure of net restaurant growth.
Coverage limits and unresolved items
- Kura is listed as a restaurant milestone for its April grand opening, not as a counted opening. Its first service could have been in March.
- Cut 432 was confirmed closed in spring reporting, but the source record examined did not resolve March versus April to June. It is omitted from quarter counts pending a verified final-service date.
- Basilic’s Boca closure requires a better event-date record before inclusion.
- A Delray DDA roundup listed more recently opened businesses without dates sufficient to assign Q1 or Q2. Those names are retained in the research ledger for follow-up.
- Hotel statistics are monthly STR market observations. Bed-tax totals use the county's industry-month labels and can be affected by collection timing or adjustments.
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.
- Palm Beach County restaurants that closed in 2026 ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published Sep 8, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Del Mar opens at NORA ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published Apr 8, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Downtown Delray restaurant and retail development update ↗Delray Beach DDA via Boca Raton Tribune · Published May 12, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Eddie V’s arrives in Palm Beach Gardens ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published Apr 20, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Company posts confirming Clearlake and Avenir openings ↗Field of Greens · Publication date not supplied · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Ford’s Garage opens in Boynton Beach ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published Jun 23, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Garden Butcher opens in West Palm Beach ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published Jun 17, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Juliana’s Pizza closes at NORA ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published Jun 18, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- South Florida permanent restaurant closures, spring 2026 ↗South Florida Sun Sentinel · Published Jun 8, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Kura Revolving Sushi Bar now open in Wellington ↗Wellington The Magazine · Published May 1, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Fiscal second quarter 2026 results and restaurant openings ↗Kura Sushi USA · Published Apr 7, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Okeechobee Steakhouse family opens Lewis Prime Grill ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published May 14, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- South Florida permanent restaurant closures, March and April ↗South Florida Sun Sentinel · Published May 6, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Florence pizzeria ‘O Munaciello opens West Palm Beach restaurant ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published Jul 31, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Palm Beach County new restaurants in 2026, dated gallery captions ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published Jun 17, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Outback opens new Boca Raton restaurant ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published Apr 14, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Phat Boy Sushi plans Palm Beach Gardens restaurant ↗Business Debut · Published May 29, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Eddie & Vinny’s planned for former Prezzo on PGA ↗North Palm Beach Life · Published Jun 10, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Sports & Rec opens at NORA ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published Jun 22, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Sweet Fish and Hibiscus StrEATery open in Jupiter ↗Stet News · Published May 25, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Talkin’ Tacos in Boca Raton ↗Boca Raton Observer · Published May 20, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Completed Talkin’ Tacos Boca grand-opening recap ↗Wynn & Jade PR · Published Jun 10, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Tin Fish Boca and Lefkes Estiatorio close permanently ↗Boca Raton Observer · Published Jun 1, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- True Vegan closes in Delray and plans relocation ↗Boca Magazine · Published May 13, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Vanderbilt reveals first vision for West Palm Beach campus ↗Stet News · Published Aug 21, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- New Jupiter restaurants include Zunzibar ↗The Palm Beach Post · Published Jun 17, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Monthly summary report, June 2026 ↗Monroe County Tourist Development Council / STR · Publication date not supplied · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- FY 2025-2026 bed tax collections, by industry month ↗Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council · Publication date not supplied · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- First-half 2026 visitation and lodging results ↗Discover The Palm Beaches · Published Sep 18, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026
- Industry advisory 2026-01: Gratuities, tips and operations charges ↗Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Published Jun 26, 2026 · Checked Oct 30, 2026