Tim Petrillo, CEO, The Restaurant People

May 2026 — Invest: sat down with Tim Petrillo, CEO of The Restaurant People, to discuss how hospitality, real estate, and placemaking are converging across Greater Fort Lauderdale and South Florida. “You can’t just be okay anymore. You have to be exceptional to survive,” Petrillo said.

What have been the most defining developments across your portfolio over the past year, and what signals are you seeing in consumer behavior?

The most transformational project we’re working on right now is our FATVillage development. It’s a five-and-a-half-acre project that we’re developing with my partner Alan Hooper under Urban Street Development. We brought Hines Development in as our co-GP about two years ago. They’re one of the largest global developers, and they’ve been incredible partners. We’re about six months out from completing the project.

This will be a truly transformational project for Flagler Village. It will be the only development in the area with contiguous retail, about 200,000 square feet of class-A office space, roughly 800 residential units, and close to 100,000 square feet of retail. Fort Lauderdale hasn’t seen new class-A office delivered since the Main project during COVID, so this really fills a gap. More importantly, it creates a true sense of place where people can live, work, dine, and shop in one connected environment.

We’re also preparing to launch a new concept on Las Olas Boulevard. We’ve been working on that for several years. We are now in construction, with plans to open in the summer of 2026. All of this reflects our confidence in Fort Lauderdale. Fort Lauderdale is on the precipice of its moment.

As you continue to expand across South Florida, what criteria guide your growth decisions?

We start by looking at migration patterns and where people are going. Then we look at the void in that market for concepts and food and beverage options, and we try to deliver a concept that fits both the demographic and the opportunity. That’s the core of how we approach growth.

Historically, we’ve gravitated toward emerging or transforming areas. If you look at what we’ve done over time, we’ve often been change agents for a neighborhood. That allows us to open and operate in a way that can offset the cost structure you face in a more mature, more expensive market. Being early, so to speak, has helped us build concepts that match the direction of the community.

How do you see the relationship between hospitality, residential development, and placemaking evolving as downtowns densify?

Those lines are blurring. People look at lifestyle as a whole, not as separate segments. They want where they live to feel consistent with how they approach dining and how they spend time. There’s a huge emphasis on wellness, whether that’s physical, spiritual, or simply how people want to feel day to day.

COVID changed the way people think about things holistically. Before, there was a very defined separation between work and home, and with COVID those lines merged. Now, living, vacationing, working, and entertaining are all part of the same daily rhythm. Communities that embrace art, culture, wellness, hospitality, and business will win, because they’re able to blend the different aspects of life in a way that feels cohesive.

What impact has Brightline had on tourism and activity around your venues?

Brightline will be a game changer. Hines, a global developer, wanted to partner with us in part because we sit right on the Brightline station, and connectivity was a major driver for them. They do projects all over the world and understand the importance of transportation and access.

I use Brightline personally. We have venues in Miami, and I’ll jump on the train for meetings. I hear people talking about using it to go to games, or to Palm Beach, or for business. It’s a great option that we didn’t have before, and over time, it will change behavior. South Florida has been a commuter-car community for so long that people need to experience it to understand how easy and productive it can be. Instead of driving for an hour, you can have a productive hour on a train.

How are customer expectations around hospitality and luxury changing?

Consumers today are far more sophisticated than they were even 10 years ago. Food media, social platforms, and travel have given people a stronger understanding of hospitality, whether that’s restaurants, hotels, or luxury experiences. People are more educated about flavors, quality, and execution, and that pushes operators to be better.

Social media also allows people to see great products from all over the world, and it develops expectations. That drives the entire hospitality community to deliver at a higher level, which improves the experience for everyone. You see it across segments, too. Luxury is not only about price point. It’s ingredients, service, and how thoughtfully something is put together, even in more casual concepts. You can’t just be okay anymore. You have to be exceptional to survive.

We also think about that at the development level. In FATVillage, the F in FAT stands for food, and we’re curating concepts that aren’t already in this market, whether it’s a bakery, a burger concept, or a full-service restaurant. We’re very thoughtful about how teams execute and what level of product they deliver, because consumers can tell the difference quickly now.

What strategies are helping you navigate staffing challenges, particularly with housing affordability?

Housing affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing hospitality, and there is no clear solution. What we’re trying to do is look for pathways that can make a real impact. Years ago, we developed a market-rate project that included micro-units before that concept was widely accepted by lenders. We gave our team members the first opportunity to fill those units, and we were able to place many employees downtown at a more attainable price point. Those kinds of strategies help, but the broader issue will require collaboration.

Long term, this problem is going to be solved through a combination of subsidies, land solutions, and partnerships. The county owns land. Hospital districts own land. School boards own land. If we can produce housing stock for teachers, nurses, and essential workers on or near those campuses, that’s a win. You’re starting to see more interest in those approaches now than you would have 10 years ago.

Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunities in your sector?

Hospitality and real estate go hand in hand. Hospitality is the amenity that supports where people live. People want activities, restaurants, and experiences close by, because that is part of what makes a neighborhood desirable.

We’re seeing wellness play into that more and more. People are paying closer attention to what they put in their bodies and how they want to live. As density increases, neighborhoods become more important, and the amenities within those neighborhoods become more important, because it gets harder to move around. People tend to fall back into their neighborhood, and the neighborhoods with the strongest mix of amenities tend to win.

What are your top priorities for the upcoming years?

One of my biggest priorities is the way Broward County tells its story. I think our community struggles with its brand. Outside the region, people don’t always understand where Broward is, and that causes confusion in the market.

You see how other regions have created a clearer identity. Miami did it. The Greater Palm Beaches did it. In Broward, you hear Lauderdale, Sunrise, and other municipalities referenced more than Broward County itself. Even on national broadcasts, you’ll hear us described as just north of Miami. We’re growing up as a region, and we need to stand on our own.

I’m involved with organizations that study this issue closely. I chair the Broward Workshop this year, and I’m also involved in marketing efforts tied to the region’s tourism branding. The data consistently shows that Broward County does not resonate with audiences the way Fort Lauderdale or Visit Lauderdale does. That’s why you’ve seen organizations rename themselves and why the airport and convention branding has evolved the way it has. We need to take a serious look at what will create clarity, cohesion, and stronger recognition for the county moving forward.