Two new eateries and a market at the site of Flora Fine Foods on Sample Road in Coral Springs are expected to open shortly after the new year.
Olivia Lloyd
olloyd@mcclatchy.com
The family behind local Italian importer Flora Fine Foods is set to open both a fast-casual eatery and a more upscale bar and restaurant on its property in Coral Springs next month.
Though John Flora was born in the Puglia region of Italy and came to the United States in 1962, his daughter, Angela Flora, was raised in Parkland. She said the community wants an authentic Italian restaurant, so that’s what they’re bringing.
“This is our town, if you will,” she told the Coral Springs News on Dec. 16. “We purchased this land and built this property on it. We’ve always wanted something like this, and we know other people want it. This town is near and dear to our hearts, so we want to bring something special.”
The space will be split into two eateries, Flora’s Italian Eatery and market downstairs, and Angela’s Bar & Kitchen upstairs.
Flora Fine Foods operates out of the same property as the upcoming eateries at 12335 West Sample Road near the Sawgrass Expressway, across the street from the Florida Panthers IceDen.
Angela Flora likened the space to an Eataly. The bottom floor will have an array of options for dine-in food, coffee and beer, and grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, and other food and drinks. Patrons can order from a pizza station, a hot bar, a cafe and bakery, and a deli, then they can sit down and enjoy.
“We’re bringing a little bit of Italy to you, which is always what we’ve done with Flora. From Italy to your table,” Angela Flora said. “The space is going to remind you of Italy, something you would see there. We’ll have beautiful meats and cheeses hanging, and sandwiches. You’re going to see it with your eyes and it will make you hungry.”
The two eateries will be located at Flora Fine Foods’ property at 12335 West Sample Road near the Sawgrass Expressway, across the street from the Florida Panthers IceDen. Olivia Lloyd olloyd@mcclatchy.com
Visitors can also shop at the market area downstairs for frozen ravioli, sauces, pasta, cookies and other dry goods. With a large wine cellar they’ve built out, they plan to offer wine tastings with meat and cheese, as well as courses on wine and dinner pairings.
The upstairs, which is expected to open a couple weeks later, is a full-service restaurant with a private event room, serving up a cocktail menu, an extensive wine list, beer on tap and shareable plates.
The downstairs area will be open Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The upstairs will be open from 3 p.m. through the end of dinner service, including a happy hour.
It’s not the family’s first foray into the restaurant world. After getting his start in the culinary world in New York, John Flora moved to Florida and opened Flora’s Drive-In pizza parlor in Miami, then later Flora’s Italian Restaurant in Hollywood.
With a large wine cellar being built out, the restaurant will host wine tastings with meat and cheese, as well as dinner pairings. Olivia Lloyd olloyd@mcclatchy.com
Eventually, he began Flora Fine Foods, a major restaurant supply business with products in Publix, Winn-Dixie and other supermarkets and specialty stores across the country.
“It’s going to be like something you’ve never seen before,” Angela Flora said. “Something you can’t get anywhere else.”
The restaurant is hiring all positions, including chefs, baristas, customer service workers, bakers and deli staff. Though the construction process has pushed their opening past their anticipated date in December, they expect to open their doors in January.
“We want to share with people the way we cook, the way we enjoy food, the way we enjoy wine,” Angela Flora said. “We want people to come here and feel like family.”
Olivia Lloyd
Coral Springs News
Olivia Lloyd is an Associate Editor/Reporter for the Coral Springs News, the Pembroke Pines News and the Miramar News. She graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Previously, she has worked for Hearst DevHub, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and McClatchy’s Real Time Team.
Dining and Cooking