Rusty Pelican Owners Bringing Sweetwaters to Fort Lauderdale

• Specialty Restaurants Corporation is opening Sweetwaters, a new waterfront restaurant in downtown Fort Lauderdale, this fall.
• The project marks the company’s first South Florida expansion outside of its longtime Rusty Pelican location in Key Biscayne.
• Sweetwaters will open inside the newly renovated Huizenga Park along the New River near Las Olas Boulevard.

What Sweetwaters Will Bring to Fort Lauderdale

The family-owned hospitality group behind Miami’s iconic Rusty Pelican is officially expanding into Fort Lauderdale with a new waterfront restaurant concept called Sweetwaters. Specialty Restaurants Corporation, led by the Tallichet family, is developing the restaurant inside Huizenga Park at the corner of Las Olas Boulevard and Andrews Avenue. Construction is already underway, with the opening expected in fall 2026. The launch marks a major expansion for the company, which has operated the Rusty Pelican on Key Biscayne since 1972. Despite running 17 waterfront-focused restaurants across the country, the group has not expanded elsewhere in South Florida until now. Sweetwaters is expected to become one of Fort Lauderdale’s largest restaurant openings of the year as hospitality investment continues accelerating throughout the downtown waterfront district.

What the New Waterfront Restaurant Includes

The restaurant will feature approximately 6,140 square feet of indoor dining space with seating for up to 291 guests. An additional 3,500 square feet of terraces and patios will overlook the New River, giving the concept a strong focus on outdoor waterfront dining. Sweetwaters will initially launch with dinner service centered around coastal cuisine, cocktails, and happy hour offerings. Plans include lunch service and a café-style morning concept with coffee, juices, and grab-and-go options.

The project’s architecture is being handled by JVB Architect, while New York-based hospitality design firm ICRAVE is overseeing interiors. Design plans call for warm, natural materials, clean lines, and an atmosphere designed to complement the surrounding waterfront setting. RCC Associates is managing construction for the project.

What the Opening Signals for Fort Lauderdale Development

Sweetwaters adds to the growing wave of hospitality and mixed-use investment transforming downtown Fort Lauderdale and the Las Olas corridor. Huizenga Park recently completed a two-year renovation and reopened earlier this year, with Sweetwaters becoming its first major restaurant tenant.

The site’s location near Riverwalk and the Brightline station positions the restaurant to attract both local residents and visitors traveling between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Developers and hospitality operators continue targeting waterfront locations across South Florida as population growth, tourism, and luxury residential development fuel demand for destination-style dining experiences. For Specialty Restaurants Corporation, the project represents a strategic expansion into one of Florida’s fastest-growing lifestyle and hospitality markets.