As WFLX reported, the blue building sits at the top of a small rise inside Carlin Park. A coming soon sign hangs on the front, fading a little more with every South Florida summer. Greg Ryerson, visiting from Wellington, stopped by.
Four years is a long time for a building to sit empty in a park this well used. But the more interesting story isn't that nobody wants the space. Dune Dog and the county ended their agreement this spring, and the next RFP will give the selected vendor the option to manage planned volleyball courts as well as a food concession.
The Lazy Loggerhead Cafe closed in 2022, leaving the building at the top of that rise dark ever since. It sits close enough to the sand that regulars on the beach can see the sign from their towels, which is part of why its emptiness has become something people notice out loud rather than just accept. Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation, which owns and manages Carlin Park, has said it plans to issue a new request for proposals within the next several months, and that whoever takes over would have the option to tear down the existing structure and start over rather than renovate what's there now.
For a stretch, it looked like the wait was over. Dune Dog, the food and beverage brand known around Jupiter, was set to move into the space. Then the arrangement collapsed. A manager with Dune Dog Operations said the company and the county mutually agreed to end the agreement this spring, before any buildout began.
Dune Dog also has a major expansion in motion, with a location on Orlando's International Drive set to open this November.
While the building waits for its next chapter, the county has been running food trucks through the site on a monthly trial basis. Dune Dog's truck had a presence there this summer, parked at the location as recently as July, even after the permanent deal had already ended.
Gretchen Maclachlan, who recently moved back to Jupiter, put it plainly in the WFLX report:
"It would be great to have a breakfast and lunch facility again to be able to come over to the beach and experience a nice meal on the water."
The county's next request for proposals will cover the empty restaurant building. The selected vendor will also have the option, though not the obligation, to manage 10 new sand volleyball courts planned for the park.
Carlin Park currently has one sand volleyball court, making the planned addition a substantial expansion.
None of this touches the rest of what makes Carlin Park a daily habit for people who live nearby rather than a once-a-summer destination. The county's own facility listing lays it out:
That stretch of dog beach is one of the few left in Florida where a well-behaved dog can go off-leash with its owner, and it's earned a loyalty among regulars that has nothing to do with what's happening at the restaurant building up the rise.
Whatever is or isn't happening with the restaurant, the Seabreeze Amphitheater side of the park has kept its own rhythm. Carlin Park After Dark, the free tribute concert series held right at the amphitheater, has run its usual calendar this year, from a Women of Country tribute show in February to a Given to Fly performance in April. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome, food and drinks are sold on site, and the shows have continued on schedule regardless of what's happening with the building nearby.
The open questions are who will take on the concession and whether the selected vendor will also manage the planned courts.
If you're the kind of regular who already checks the Seabreeze concert calendar before a Saturday night, it's worth watching for the same update on the restaurant space once the new RFP goes out. The restaurant space at the top of the rise is still waiting for its next chapter.
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114 N Coastal Way Jupiter, FL 33477