Iconic waterfront restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens closing for renovations. For how long?

Palm Beach Gardens landmark and popular waterfront destination Waterway Café will close on Aug. 20 for renovations.

In business for 37 years, the iconic spot will get some TLC and a few upgrades that will keep it closed for six to nine months, according to its owner.

Located along the Intracoastal Waterway just off PGA Boulevard, the restaurant is slated to get a new roof, new kitchen, new parking area, new floating bar and a new seawall along the east and south sides.

Owner Marc Mariacher, who bought Waterway Café in June 2020, said many of the renovations are updates that must be done when you have a nearly 40-year-old building.

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One important thing he plans to preserve, Mariacher said, is the vibe and atmosphere that has drawn people to the beloved restaurant since 1986. He had the tiki bar area renovated last year, and that would simply get a few fresh touches, he said.

Originally, Mariacher hoped to stay open during the renovations by using the tiki area and having a food truck, but he decided against it. Given the level of construction, it just wouldn't have been safe, he said.

Waterway Café's renovations includes new floating bar on Intracoastal

The new floating bar will be a concrete barge like its predecessor, which was dismantled and removed this past spring. Mariacher said that when the original owner opened Waterway, officials told him he couldn't have a bar on the property. He basically said "yeah, no," and built the floating bar which they could not stop. They sort of had the last laugh, however, when they told him he had to have a licensed captain on the floating bar at all times. Mariacher laughed and said thankfully, that's no longer required.

The new floating bar will be the same footprint as before and will not affect the number spots for patrons arriving by boat to dock.

Mariacher said that since he bought the restaurant, his team has worked to streamline the kitchen, making it more efficient. The upcoming new kitchen is designed to help with some planned menu items the restaurant will add when it reopens. Those items include more salads, seafood and few other healthy options, he said.

The restaurant's parking lot will get a makeover with new landscaping, irrigation and retaining wall. Mariacher said they are going to lose a few spots to comply with new greenspace regulations.

The entire project is in the hands of Shawmut Construction, which specializes in restaurant construction and renovation, said Mariacher. He praised the city of Palm Beach Gardens for its help during the planning and permitting process.

Originally built by businessman and real estate developer Jefferson Vander Wolk on the site of the former Waterway Marina, Waterway Café opened in 1986.

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Waterway Café in Palm Beach Gardens

Where: 2300 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens

Closing: Sunday, Aug. 20

Reopening: estimated six to nine months

Information: waterwaycafe.com/our-menu/dinner/; 561-694-1700

Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Restaurant on the water Waterway Cafe in Palm Beach Gardens closing