Coming soon: Velvet Taco heading to Fort Lauderdale; Mia Rosebud bringing Italian classics to Boca Raton

When it comes to food, South Florida is a great place to be. So many new restaurants open up every day. Here’s what’s coming soon to a city near you.

Velvet Taco, Fort Lauderdale

Straight out of Texas comes Velvet Taco, which is expected to open its first Florida location in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk enclave on Sept. 11. The brand brings to SoFlo its signature scratch-made, chef-driven menu of elevated and globally-inspired tacos such as Chicken & Waffle, Mediterranean Mushroom, The Cuban, Kobe Smash Burger and Fish n’ Chips. There’s also an all-day breakfast taco menu, a kids’ menu, a gluten-free menu, a namesake Red Velvet Cake (made in-house daily) and margaritas. “Our innovative scratch-made menu, combined with our commitment to inspiring our guests to ‘resist the ordinary,’ will resonate with Fort Lauderdale’s dynamic and diverse culinary scene,” says Velvet Taco CEO Clay Dover. “We look forward to welcoming taco enthusiasts to our first of many Florida restaurants and introducing them to tacos like they’ve never experienced before.” The restaurant will have a 3,477-square-foot dining room that can seat 108 guests and an 842-square-foot patio to seat 38. 305 S. Andrews Ave., Suite 115, Fort Lauderdale; velvettaco.com

Vale Food Co., Boca Raton

This Florida-born, fast-casual eatery is expanding with a new location at Town Center at Boca Raton scheduled to open on Sept. 11. With signature rice, quinoa and sweet-potato glass noodles bowls that you can get topped with freshly prepared meats and vegetables, as well as boosts and sauces, Vale is also known for sustainability as much as for its health-conscious fare. (After all, “Vale” is an old English word that means “to live an earthly life.”) A cold “superfood” station will feature items such as acai bowls, poke bowls and avocado toast. You will also find whole grain chocolate chip cookies, coffees, matcha and smoothies. “After much success with our locations throughout Florida, and with a growing demand for healthy food, I’m excited to open our eighth Vale Food Co. restaurant in the heart of Boca Raton and offer the community an all-day healthy dining destination like no other,” says Sunny Ilyas, CEO and founder. 5250 Town Center Circle, No. 131, Boca Raton; 561-717-4275; valefoodco.com

Mia Rosebud, Boca Raton

The 10th location of this Illinois-born restaurant chain, known for dishing huge portions of Italian classics, is set to arrive in downtown Boca Raton “this coming fall,” according to a message posted on its website. At 7,700 square feet, the 164-seat restaurant with an exterior bar and patio seating on Palmetto Park Road, comes from restaurateur Alex Dana, whose restaurant group in Chicago’s Little Italy is expanding into Florida for the first time. A Boca menu isn’t yet available, but Chicagoland locations serve pastas including cavatelli cacio e pepe and rigatoni alla vodka, along with NY strip steaks, brick chicken and veal cutlets for entrees and tiramisu and ricotta cheesecake for dessert. 150 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton; 561-462-3000; RosebudRestaurants.com and Instagram.com/rosebudbocaraton

Oriano’s Chicago Ave, Coral Springs

If Hulu’s breakout comedy-drama “The Bear” had you craving a hoagie stuffed to the brim with giardiniera and tender Italian beef chuck, this sandwich-and-pizza takeout spot aims to bring the Windy City to the suburbs this fall. Oriano’s is registered to Eugene Fontanini, who sold his foodservice business, Fontanini Italian Meats and Sausages, to Hormel Foods Corp. for $425 million back in 2017. The eatery, which replaces the short-lived Just Pizza & Wings Co. (it closed after six months), also offers meatballs, Chicago-style pizza by the slice, Maxwell street polish sausage and charcoal-grilled Italian sausage. According to records, future locations are also heading to Lauderdale Lakes (4101 N. State Road 7), Oakland Park (2901 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Suite A23-A24) and Pompano Beach (1 E. McNab Road). 2359 N. University Drive, Coral Springs; no website or phone number yet available

Burtons Grill & Bar, Plantation

Born on Massachusetts’ South Shore, this upscale American chain will debut its newest outpost — and second in South Florida — in the Market on University strip mall this fall. The 248-seat eatery (188 indoor, 60 patio) will replace a former Carrabba’s Italian Grill that was destroyed in a gas-leak explosion that rocked the plaza in 2019. Burtons, which operates 19 locations in eight states, including one in Boca Raton, is registered to John Haggai and Mitchell Kahn. It will serve familiar staples including lobster shrimp pasta, Mediterranean chicken risotto, salads and protein bowls, Angus beef burgers, short-rib grilled cheese and 28-day aged ribeye with bone marrow butter and garlic mashed potatoes. 1003 S. University Drive; BurtonsGrill.com

Wrap City Sandwich Co., Lake Worth Beach

The northeastern migration of restaurants into South Florida continues with the first local offshoot of this New Hampshire chain, which is plotting a September opening on North Dixie Highway inside a former Dunkin’. The handheld shop — which comes from business partners Bernie Lebs, Jana Croft, Gregg Ryan and Peter Ackerman — touts 18 sandwiches and 21 wraps. Creations range from the Thanksgiving-esque Plymouth County (turkey breast, stuffing, gravy and cranberry) to the Bangkok Nights (Thai chicken, spicy peanut sauce, carrot sticks, lettuce, tomato), along with salads and housemade potato chips. 2200 N. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Beach; WrapCitySandwiches.com

YOLO Korean BBQ, Tamarac

At 10,000 square feet, this massive all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue house will offer 60 tables with built-in burners and two karaoke rooms when it debuts this fall in the University Commons plaza. It will join an already bustling Korean restaurant row on University Drive, packed with groceries and barbecue joints such as Gabose, ROK and Manna Korean. YOLO, registered to owner Ray Park, will feature barbecued proteins like bulgogi and samgyeopsal, as well as kimchi jjigae (stew) and banchan (basically tiny side dishes) such as gyeranjjim (steamed eggs) and japchae (stir-fried glass noodles). 6800 N. University Drive, Tamarac; no website or phone number yet available

Peach Cobbler Factory, Fort Lauderdale

Peach Cobbler Factory — the dessert destination with ambitious plans to open 30 locations from West Palm Beach to Key West — will start that rollout with a second eatery opening mid-September in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Palm Court Pavilion, a retail/restaurant center on the corner of Broward Boulevard and Federal Highway. This new location is taking the space vacated by Angelo’s to Go and will offer 12 cobbler flavors (served with ice cream), 12 banana pudding flavors, six cinnamon roll flavors, 11 Bigger & Better Cookies, 12 Cobbler Cookies, along with Sweet Peachy Tea, cold brew coffee and Latin blend coffee. Even better, the new Peach Cobbler Factory will be open every day until 2 a.m. (with delivery). The first SoFlo location is in Pembroke Pines and there is a 40-foot, double-decker stationary bus at the Garden of Eatings food truck plaza behind Mercedes-Benz of Fort Lauderdale (2451 SE Fourth Ave., Fort Lauderdale), where guests can dine at picnic tables, order takeout or have delivery. 15 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; peachcobblerfactory.com

Goldberg’s Bagels Delicatessen Restaurant, Fort Lauderdale

Big Apple restaurateur Marc Goldberg, who in 2021 overhauled Dania Beach’s iconic Grampa’s Bakery, is taking his talents to Fort Lauderdale. The namesake owner of 13 Goldberg’s Famous Bagels locations in the Hamptons will debut his new bakery-deli in August or September in the short-lived Kraft Bistro & Deli space. As with Grampa’s, it will carry Goldberg’s signature New York-style water bagels, which are oven-baked, not steamed, imparting a crusty outer texture and chewy inside. The rest of the menu, which includes deli meats and flagels (think flat bagels) hasn’t yet been finalized. Goldberg’s arrival marks the fifth restaurant to lease this location in nine years. 2701 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale

Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant & Bar, Davie

This Missouri sports-bar franchise devoted to wings, steaks and banks of flat-screen TVs is plotting its first Florida location with a 5,500-square-foot space on South University Drive, replacing the former Crab-Holic. The eatery expects a Nov. 1 debut. The 250-seat spot, where University Drive meets Griffin Road, is a “perfect place” to draw families and traffic from nearby Nova Southeastern University, franchisee Steve Swanson said. “You could say it’s another sports bar, but I think of it as more of a fun, energetic hangout, and that’s what sets it apart from sports bars like Duffy’s or Chili’s,” he says. Swanson, who operates Walt’s American Grille & Bar in Boca Raton and once ran six South Florida IHOP franchises, says Big Whiskey’s will serve 120 types of whiskey and bone-in wings with 14 sauces, along with salads, soups, New York strips, baby back ribs and seven handhelds from turkey gouda to Philly cheesesteak. Swanson is eyeing southern Palm Beach County for Big Whiskey’s second location. 4599 S. University Drive, Davie; BigWhiskeys.com

Carmela Toast & Coffee Bar, West Palm Beach

This growing coffee-and-avocado-toast chain, cofounded in Parkland by owners Rainer Abreu and Rafael Baretta, is on an expansion spree, with a rebranded name (changed from Carmela Coffee Co.) and two more locations planned for Boca Raton and Stuart in 2023. But first, Carmela’s newest outpost is expected to debut in September inside the upscale Village Commons plaza under franchisees Miguel Cortes-Vinasco and Maria Rosero. Along with java, they sling empanadas, avocado toast, flatbreads, salads and more. 701 Village Blvd., Suites 101-102, West Palm Beach; 561-389-7630, CarmelaCoffee.com

Voodoo Brewery, Oakland Park

Yet another craft brewery is shuffling into the ever-expanding Oakland Park Culinary Arts District, already home to a distillery, a meadery, two breweries, a wine bar and a butcher shop. This growing Pennsylvania-headquartered brewing company, which expects to open this fall, runs on a franchise model, opening taprooms in South Carolina and Nevada, among other states. The Oakland Park outpost — Voodoo’s second in Florida after launching a location in St. Petersburg in April 2022 — comes from franchisee Mark Freher and will feature Lacto-Kooler (a Berliner Weisse), Good Vibes (a West Coast IPA) Empty Calories (American lager) and Where Our Secrets Go (an imperial stout), paired with a food menu of burgers, chicken wings and mac ‘n’ cheese. 3492 NE 12th Ave., Unit B, Oakland Park; VoodooBrewery.com

Sushi by Boū, Boca Raton

This speakeasy bar-omakase experience from sushi wizard David Bouhadana is expanding yet again, with its newest restaurant — with partner Erika London — scheduled to open in September in Royal Palm Place. The sushi house, adorned in 1920s Art Deco motifs, will offer an hourlong meal of 12 courses for $60 per person or 17 courses for $125 per person. This will be the 14th nationwide location for the chain, which began its life in Manhattan before migrating to South Florida via the former Versace Mansion in South Beach. Along with omakase and cocktails, patrons may enjoy a la carte mochi ice cream and other specialties. 409 SE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton; SushiByBou.com

Campi at The Ray Hotel, Delray Beach

This new concept from restaurateur Curt Huegel is expected to open in The Ray Hotel sometime this fall, taking the space that formerly housed Ember Grill. Known for Manhattan’s Campagnola, Bill’s Townhouse, American Cut and Scarpetta, Huegel also has Avalon Steak & Seafood as well as Lulu’s Café & Cocktails in Delray Beach’s dining and entertainment enclave. “We’ve found a new culinary home here in Delray Beach, with this being our third restaurant we will open in the downtown area,” Huegel says. “Coming to The Ray Hotel was something of a no-brainer for us, as the property itself exudes that vibrant, beachy-yet-modern feel, a perfect fit for what Campi is.” In other news at the hotel: Chef Akira Back will, in addition to helming his eponymous eatery, also take over Rosewater Rooftop. “I could not be more excited to be expanding in Delray Beach with Rosewater Rooftop,” Back says. “Delray Beach is a special culinary and hospitality destination that I’m happy to be able to add my vision and concepts.” 233 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach; 561-739-1700; therayhotel.com

Saiko-i Sushi Lounge and Hibachi, Plantation

Before year’s end, this Japanese restaurant and lounge plans to debut inside the city’s Shoppes at Broward plaza on Broward Boulevard. The hibachi comes from husband-and-wife hospitality vets Jason Zheng and Tina Wang (Koi Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Lounge, Coco Sushi Lounge & Bar, Yakitori Sake House), who also operate a Saiko-i in Boca Raton. The restaurant will also offer entrees such as lobster pad thai and salmon kha pow, pan-seared Chilean sea bass and Thai red curry organic chicken, as well as fried rice, ramen bowls, stir-frys, sushi boats and 30 signature rolls. 8100-8160 W. Broward Blvd., Plantation; saikoiboca.com

Hurts Donut Co., Plantation

This Missouri-born treat shop founded by Timothy and Kas Clegg is expected to open its first Florida location sometime this year at Plantation Walk, a spokesperson for the mega-shopping playground has told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The bake-shop chain serves goodies themed around Cookie Monster (yes, with googly eyes), Homer Simpson (pink, multicolored sprinkles) and cotton candy (topped with a hunk of cotton candy), along with custard-filled Long John and cake doughnuts studded with Reese’s Pieces and Fruity Pebbles. Though a lease was reportedly signed in early June, no exact address is yet available. WannaHurts.com

The Wagyu House, Hallandale Beach

Sometime this fall, the premium meatheads behind online butcher shop Meat N’ Bone and The Wagyu Bar on Miami’s Coral Way will join the fray of trendy restaurants filling the third phase of buzzy Atlantic Village on North Federal Highway. The restaurant, billed as a “casual steakhouse” by owners Luis Mata and Gabriel Llaurado, will offer dozens of rare, dry-aged and high-end steaks. While a full menu is still in the works, the cuts will be sourced from Mata and Llaurado’s Meat N’ Bone online shop, started in 2018. That store offers 300 cuts of meat, poultry and seafood, and has since expanded into brick-and-mortar butcher shops in Coral Springs and Pinecrest. 601 N. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach; TheWagyuBar.com

Pura Vida, Boca Raton and Royal Palm Beach

The Miami-based chain — owned by Omer and Jennifer Horev — plans to open its second Palm Beach County location in Boca Raton on Sept. 1. With its health-conscious approach, and an eye on food allergies and dietary restrictions, Pura Vida offers dishes such as pasture-raised egg sandwiches, salads, raw organic açai bowls, wraps and gluten-free vegan sweets. According to their website, the long-awaited Royal Palm Beach location — which they call Wellington — will open Sept. 15. There are 15 Pura Vidas total throughout SoFlo. 8170 Glades Road, Suite K-1, Boca Raton; and 440 S. State Road 7, No. 200, Royal Palm Beach; puravidamiami.com

H&H Bagels, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach

As Cosmo Kramer once said, “Toss me an apron: Let’s bagel.” The New York bagel chain once featured on TV’s “Seinfeld” is making an aggressive countrywide expansion for the first time outside the Big Apple, with the first of 25 new stores set to open in Boca Raton by this fall. A second franchise is expected to debut in West Palm Beach. “We’re working with like-minded entrepreneurs who are eager to bring an iconic brand and an authentic New York City bagel to cities all across the country,” Jay Rushin, CEO of the 51-year-old bagelry, says in a news release. Five stores will also open in Tampa. The shop serves tuna and chicken salad sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches and housemade bagel spreads, from lox to flavored cream cheese. Try to get there before Kramer sabotages the bagel machine again. No addresses have yet been announced; HHBagels.com

Mission BBQ, Royal Palm Beach

This pit joint —- the second in Palm Beach County — is coming this year to the Boulevard Shoppes at Cypress Key plaza, adding to the flurry of new restaurants heading to the once-sleepy Southern Boulevard drag. The Maryland-born chain is a hub of pork and patriotism where, at lunchtime each day, TV screens burst to life with the American flag and customers rise to sing The Star-Spangled Banner. Its menu is built around entrees of Texas-style brisket, pulled pork, sausage, turkey, salmon, pulled chicken “bay-b-back” ribs and spare ribs, along with sides such as coleslaw, green beans, baked beans and mac-n-cheese. 11929 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach; Mission-BBQ.com

Vo te for Pedro, Boca Raton

This Mexican-American cantina from restaurateur Anthony Monticello is the answer to the never-asked question: What happens if I mash up “Napoleon Dynamite” and tacos? Expected to open this fall in The Shoppes at Village Pointe, it will replace the former The D in Delicious chocolate shop. If the name sounds familiar, Monticello’s Where Hospitality originally brought his taco stand from Manhattan to Delray Beach Market in 2021 but left a year later amid rising rents and a rebranding of the food hall. The new shop will serve tacos de birria, along with Mexican street foods in a sports bar-style setting. 6018 SW 18th St., Suite C9, Boca Raton; VoteforPedroNYC.com

Livia Bar & Grill, Fort Lauderdale

This Southern Italian restaurant expects to open in Fort Lauderdale’s exploding Flagler Village nabe this fall, in time for the NFL’s season kickoff. The 150-seat Livia, which is registered to Daniel Mendoza, will serve Neapolitan-style pies, linguine and clams, chicken parmesan, beer and craft cocktails, and feature plenty of flat-screen TVs for sports games. 500 N. Andrews Ave., Unit 106, Fort Lauderdale

Ya Mas! Taverna, West Palm Beach

More than a year after hospitality honcho and “Big Brother” star Memphis Garrett (No Man’s Land, Point Break) brought his first Greek restaurant to tony Las Olas Boulevard, Ya Mas! will expand into its first sister taverna on West Palm Beach’s bustling Clematis Street restaurant row. Expected to open in late 2023, the new Ya Mas! will dish an identical menu of modern and classic fare, such as dolmades and muhammara, bechamel short rib, and loukaniko with melted leek and pepperoncini. 216 Clematis St., West Palm Beach; YaMasTaverna.com

Topgolf, Pompano Beach

This three-level golfing attraction touting a restaurant-bar, rooftop terrace, patio and 102 climate-controlled hitting bays will anchor a new 223-acre project being built near the former Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. Topgolf, slated to open in late 2023, hasn’t unveiled its Pompano Beach menu yet, but its Miami Gardens location serves American pub fare: burgers and buttermilk fried-chicken sandwiches, chicken wings and nachos, meat lover’s flatbreads and injectable, cinnamon-dusted doughnut holes for dessert. Intersection of Powerline Boulevard and Race Track Road; TopGolf.com

Gregory’s, West Palm Beach

Miami-chic Greek eats, south of downtown West Palm Beach? That would be Gregory’s, co-owner Max Ricci and entrepreneur Michael Katzenberg’s restaurant opening sometime this fall in the city’s so-called SoSo (south of Southern) neighborhood on South Dixie Highway. An offshoot of Ricci’s acclaimed Mandolin Aegean Bistro in Miami’s Design District, Gregory’s will serve coastal Greek and Mediterranean, although a full menu is not yet available. 5700 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach

Maggie McFly’s Local Craft Eatery & Bar, Boca Raton

Touchdown probably won’t be until October for this concept flying into SoFlo out of Connecticut. Celebrating its 30th anniversary with this first foray into Florida, Maggie MacFly’s is doing a total down-to-the-studs makeover of a space inside Town Center at Boca Raton mall (where Rex Baron once stood). The Maggie McFly’s menu has more than 180 items including burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, street foods (tacos, gyros, sliders), pastas, chicken dishes, salads, seafood, steaks and ribs, house specialties (such as Shepherd’s Pie, Pot Roast, Cajun Jambalaya), appetizers, snacks and desserts. “We will do seasonal specials that will be much more focused on Florida and Boca, more fresh fish,” says founder and owner Ray Harper, a snowbird in Palm Beach Gardens. The company also touts the use of locally sourced products, both in the kitchen and the bar. 6000 Glades Road, Boca Raton; maggiemcflys.com.

Rock N Roll Sushi, Palm Beach County

Founded in Mobile, Ala., in 2010, Rock N Roll Sushi has big plans for South Florida. First up will be Palm Beach County sometime in 2023, with a group of food-and-beverage investors scouting potential locations as well as other franchisees who are interested in spreading the fast-casual eatery with rock music-themed sushi and hibachi dishes through the rest of SoFlo. This new ownership group — called Rock N Development — recently announced plans to roll out (get it?) 35 Rock N Roll Sushi locations in central and southwest Florida. “Boca is a good area,” says John “JD” Weissfisch, one of the partners with Rock N Development. “[Palm Beach] Gardens going north, even Wellington and Boynton Beach. I think those areas are great for the brand … which caters to the families. It’s Americanized sushi for people who are intimidated by sushi or never tried it. I think in those areas, we would have a great customer base.” Though home is now just outside of Orlando, Weissfisch’s Argentine family lived for years in Miami, where he was an auto industry executive before becoming a multi-unit restaurant owner and operator of Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Island Wing Co. Multiple locations; rocknrollsushi.com.

Fiolina Pasta House, Boca Raton

Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning chef Fabio Trabocchi is coming to Boca Raton. Not only is he opening Fiolina at the highly anticipated Restaurant Row this fall, but Trabocchi is also moving his family to Boca Raton, where he and his wife first met. Fiolina will occupy the venue’s largest space at 7,000 square feet and, in addition to the main dining room, will feature a lounge, pasta room, show kitchen (with counter dining), private dining room, outdoor terrace and an open Mozzarella Bar Kitchen (with charcuterie station and wine room). “While memorable food and exceptional service will be the core draw, Fiolina Pasta House will be much, much more,” Trabocchi says. “It will be the place where you will always find a sense of community, and everyday life celebrations happen.” Trabocchi already has Fiola in Coral Gables, and his Washington, D.C.,-based restaurant group includes Del Mar and Sfoglina Pasta House. 5355 Town Center Road, Boca Raton; fabiotrabocchi.com.

The Soulful Steep, Pompano Beach

Billed as a new teahouse, salt cave and emporium, this groovy nook designed to help channel one’s “inner hippie” plans to shuffle into Pompano Beach’s arty Old Town district sometime this September. The menu at this cozy shop, registered to owners Christina and John Abresch, features a bevy of teas blended by local herbalists, along with vegan and gluten-free baked goods and light bites. The 40-seat shop will also be accented by a therapeutic salt cave and the sale of art and furniture made by locals. 122 N. Flagler Ave., Pompano Beach; TheSoulfulSteep.com

The Baked Bear, Dania Beach

The Baked Bear plans to open its second South Florida location sometime this winter at Dania Pointe, the sprawling al fresco mall and entertainment enclave in Dania Beach. As with the other location in Sawgrass Mills, this new novelty dessert shop will feature 13 baked-from-scratch-daily cookies and 13 premium craft ice cream flavors. You will also be able to mix and match two cookie flavors and choose an ice cream flavor for the filling, thus creating your own customized ice cream sandwich. Additionally, The Baked Bear will serve pints, sundaes and Bear Bowls (a warm cookie and brownie served with a scoop of ice cream). There are two more shops planned for Miami-Dade County. 139 S. Compass Way, Dania Beach; thebakedbear.com and daniapointe.com

Chip City, Pompano Beach and beyond

The latest New York-born restaurant to bet its chips on South Florida is this growing cookie monster, which is scheduled to open five new storefronts in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties by fall 2023. The sweet shack founded by childhood friends Peter Phillips and Teddy Gailas in 2017 has 17 spots in New York and New Jersey, but a $10 million investment by Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer spurred the South Florida move. Their chunky five-and-a-half-ounce cookie menu includes dairy-free chocolate chip made with oat milk and coconut oil, chocolate peanut butter, blueberry cheesecake, and seasonal outliers such as hot honey cornbread and cannoli (stuffed with toasted pistachios, cannoli shells and cream). A Miami Beach outpost is expected to debut this spring, followed by spots in Pompano Beach, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami’s MIMO District. 2083 N. Powerline Road, Pompano Beach, and 302A E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; ChipCityCookies.com