On October 12, Specialty Restaurants, the family-owned hospitality group behind Miami’s Rusty Pelican, will open its first Fort Lauderdale concept, Sweetwaters, at the newly reimagined Huizenga Park. Located at the corner of Las Olas Boulevard and Andrews Avenue along the New River, the nearly 10,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor restaurant pairs chef-driven coastal cuisine and creative cocktails with an inviting waterfront setting at the heart of the park’s $15 million transformation. To celebrate the opening, Sweetwaters will welcome Mayor Dean Trantalis alongside city officials, chamber members and the public to host an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 13.
“For our family, hospitality has always been about creating spaces that become part of the communities they serve,” said John Tallichet, president and CEO of Specialty Restaurants in a statement. “With Sweetwaters, we saw an opportunity to bring that same spirit to Fort Lauderdale, welcoming guests to a restaurant that genuinely feels at home along the New River.”
Designed by JVB Architect, with interiors by ICRAVE, a Journey studio and construction by RCC Associates, the 292-seat restaurant unfolds across a series of distinct yet seamlessly connected spaces. Sweetwaters’ interior dining room seats 121, drawing guests in with soaring ceilings and oversized woven pendants that create a sense of drama, balanced by pale woods, richly veined stone, warm metallic finishes and abundant greenery. A luminous 12-seat bar anchors the room, while the open kitchen and four-seat raw bar bring energy and theater to the dining experience. Outdoors, a 90-seat riverfront patio flows toward the water, while a 44-seat second terrace faces Huizenga Park, connecting the restaurant to both sides of downtown life…