Visit Lauderdale’s Dine Out Lauderdale Restaurant Month brings big appetite
Writer: Mirella Franzese
July 2024 — An economic boost is expected to hit Greater Fort Lauderdale’s restaurants and bars this August as locals celebrate Dine Out Restaurant Month, one of the Sunshine State’s notable food festivals each year.
Taking place from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, the Dine Out Lauderdale Restaurant Month has been running for more than a decade, and launched by Visit Lauderdale to boost local tourism and bring restaurants business during the slower months.
Broward County saw a 1.4% increase in visitor traffic at full-service restaurants, fast-casual eateries, and coffee chains year over year, according to data provided by Placer.AI. And the Greater Fort Lauderdale area is on pace for a strong 3Q24 in the food and hospitality sectors despite a less optimistic outlook for the industry across the United States.
Visit Lauderdale’s Dine Out Restaurant Month plans to take advantage of this sustained demand for dining-out experiences to draw residents and visitors alike to the region’s top gastronomic spots, located around pivotal tourist areas.
With 180 restaurants participating — which range from local food halls to eateries featuring Michelin-starred chefs, like MAASS at Four Seasons — Dine Out Lauderdale for restaurants month will underscore burgeoning cities and neighborhoods around Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Dania Beach, Lighthouse Point, Coconut Creek, Wilton Manors, Plantation, Weston, Oakland Park, Coral Springs, and Davie, among others.
In Fort Lauderdale, the restaurant scene is garnering national attention, with two restaurants recognized among Yelp’s Top 100 Restaurants in 2024. Twice Removed, a local ‘eclectic American’ eatery, which mixes Cuban flavors with French Canadian dishes, ranked No. 86, while KUBO Asian Fusion & Bar, an unconventional spot for street food drawing inspiration from Thailand, Japan, and other Asian countries, came in at No. 97.
The area’s dining epicenter is on Las Olas Boulevard, with more than 50 dining options packed in close proximity. “Las Olas Boulevard sees close to five million visitors per year. All this activity sustains the high level of pedestrian foot traffic necessary for an active downtown, booming with new restaurant offerings,” said Jenni Morejon, president and CEO of Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority, in late 2023 during an interview for the Invest: Greater Fort Lauderdale 2023-2024 publication.
The prix fixe menu of Dine Out Lauderdale’s three-course dining experiences — which offer lunch starting at $35, and capped at $75 for the luxe experience — cater to a diverse crowd in Broward County. For the more price-sensitive consumers, the partaking restaurants will issue discounts on desserts, brunches, and happy hours.
The dining experience is a major contributor to the enhanced lifestyle amenities that are driving development in the area today. The acquisition of a $48.5 million mixed-use shopping center by real estate developers, BH Group, PEBB Enterprises, and Related Group, will bolster the current dining and retail landscape in Fort Lauderdale. The new development will add 12,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space to The Quay shopping mall, as well as create 361 new residential units around the area.
“Opportunities to acquire an infill waterfront site in a high-traffic area near downtown Fort Lauderdale do not come around often,” PEBB Chief Investment Officer Eric Hochman said in a press release.
“Our partnership is well-positioned to maximize the site’s tremendous potential. This project will bring unique value to the local community, including new job opportunities and enhanced lifestyle amenities,” he added.
For more information, please visit:
https://www.visitlauderdale.com/
https://www.ddaftl.org/
https://www.gflalliance.org/
UPDATE [Friday, Aug. 2 10:48 a.m. EST]: This article was updated to reflect that 180 restaurants are participating in Visit Lauderdale’s Dine Out Restaurant Month, instead of the 140 previously stated. Additionally the article text was changed to reflect that chef Ryan Ratino of MAASS at Four Seasons is Michelin starred, instead of the restaurant.