The family behind Flora Fine Foods has opened an Eataly-style Flora’s Italian Eatery in Coral Springs.
Olivia Lloyd
olloyd@mcclatchy.com
The highly anticipated Flora’s Italian Eatery has opened in Coral Springs across the street from the Florida Panthers IceDen on Sample Road.
The restaurant, operated by the family behind importer and supplier Flora Fine Foods, held its friends and family opening on Saturday, Jan. 17, gathering over 300 people, before it officially opened the next day.
The spot is akin to a food hall-style Eataly, with various food, dessert and coffee stations with a market downstairs, and a full-service restaurant upstairs serving drinks and small plates. The upstairs portion, named Angela’s Bar & Kitchen, is set to open in the next couple of weeks.
“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, president of the venture, told the Coral Springs News in December.
The new spot is in a corporate park type of area adjacent to the Flora Fine Foods warehouse, started by John Flora, that imports Italian goods and sells them to consumers and grocery stores.
Patrons can walk up to any of the stations lining the walls to order food, including a hot bar, deli, bakery, breakfast bar and cafe, or they can pick from grab-and-go salads, sandwiches and other dishes. Visitors can also buy Flora-imported items stocked on shelves in the center of the space.
“We’ve always wanted something like this, and we know other people want it,” Angela Flora said. “This town is near and dear to our hearts, so we want to bring something special.”
The family-run business has already gotten community buzz. Jason Perlow, local reviewer and the administrator of the Facebook group Foodies Who Review South Florida, wrote that Flora’s Italian Eatery is doing something different than the Doris Italian Market & Bakery grocery store chain, which also has a bakery and deli.
“They’re making sfincione-style pizza with a properly proofed crumb and a crisped bottom,” Perlow wrote about Flora. “They’re producing fresh pasta daily. There’s a gelato and café counter running at volume, not as a decorative amenity.”
Other visitors commended the food and the design of the space, saying the prices might be a little high but are worth it.
“Because it is a direct import, these products are actually priced very well, as there is no middle man,” Perlow told the Coral Springs News, while adding the business still has to pay tariffs on some Italian goods. “So the products are high quality and not cheap to begin with.”
The restaurant is located at 12335 W. Sample Road near the Sawgrass Expressway.
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