A stone building that has stood in Fort Lauderdale for more than a century, and once served as the city’s first Roman Catholic church, is now pouring cocktails and carving prime rib. The century-old structure at 441 NE Third Avenue in Flagler Village has been converted into Jay’s Steakhouse, a restaurant that its owners describe as combining historic charm with food and entertainment, according to WPLG Local 10.
The building’s journey to becoming a steakhouse began in April 2025, when YES Hospitality Group president Jay Shirodkar signed a lease for 9,500 square feet inside the historic structure, as reported by The Real Deal. Native Realty represented both Shirodkar and the landlord entity, URBN Flagler LLC, in the transaction, per the same outlet’s reporting.
From Las Olas Sanctuary to Flagler Village Landmark
The building’s roots stretch back to 1922, when it was constructed on Las Olas Boulevard as St. Anthony’s, making it the very first Roman Catholic church in Broward County, according to historical records published by History Fort Lauderdale. Built in a Romanesque stone style, the church eventually outgrew its space, and in the late 1940s a Lutheran congregation purchased the structure for $1 and relocated it brick-by-brick to Flagler Village, rededicating it in 1949 as First Evangelical Lutheran Church, History Fort Lauderdale reports.
The Lutheran congregation operated at the Third Avenue address for decades before selling the property in 2016. After facing potential demolition, the building was designated a local historic landmark, a status that has preserved its Romanesque stone facade, vaulted ceilings, and stained-glass windows through subsequent redevelopments, according to documentation from the Fort Lauderdale CRA. Developer Taho Investments bought the property in 2016, setting the stage for its adaptive reuse.
A Nightclub Predecessor Paved the Way
Jay’s Steakhouse was not the building’s first attempt at commercial reinvention. In December 2021, hospitality operator David Cardaci opened a dual concept inside the sanctuary called Holly Blue restaurant paired with The Angeles, a two-story, 6,000-square-foot nightclub, following more than two and a half years of pandemic-era conversion work, according to a report from Void Acoustics. That venture established the space as a dining and nightlife destination before Shirodkar’s group took over the lease…