The downtown Palm Harbor space formerly known as LuLu's is, as Trump or that Kia guy on the radio would say, "Uuuge."
Well, thanks to the building's new occupant, Catcher and the Rye, anyway. In addition to floor-to-ceiling interior changes owners Austin Sanchez and Mike D'Amico are making to 917 11th St. (everything from redoing the kitchen to hurricane-proofing the entire structure), they're building an about 120-seat covered, wrap-around patio outside for their coming-soon restaurant and bar, which CL previewed back in May.
D'Amico and Sanchez have served as employees and managers at restaurant chains like T.G.I. Fridays and World of Beer, run dining rooms, saloons and general stores during successful seasons in the Grand Canyon, and co-owned a large bar and music venue (which they sold two years ago) with friends in northern Arizona. They'll bring their years of corporate training and lessons learned, good and bad, to Catcher and the Rye.
Though their concept is one indoor-outdoor destination weighing in at more than 3,700 square feet, the owners have two different vibes planned for inside and out.
The name Catcher and the Rye, as you've probably guessed, is a literary reference to The Catcher in the Rye (one of the pair's favorite childhood reads). There will be subtle nods to the book worked into the decor, but this place won't be shaped around Salinger's Catcher. Swapping "in" for "and" allows the duo to allude to something else: Catcher references the restaurant's American coastal comfort food, while Rye provides an idea of what to expect on the bar end.
"There's a purposeful contrast," says D'Amico, who, along with Sanchez, acknowledges the importance of "the experience" for patrons and staff.
Surrounded by a fence no more than 32 inches high, the exterior of Catcher and the Rye is part patio, part bar and part "chill area," known as The Backyard.
The bar, which D'Amico notes will be similar to downtown Dunedin's Clear Sky Draught Haus, will feature seating and connect with another bar inside (more on that later). Meant to be a social atmosphere, The Backyard will highlight groups of furniture, a fire pit, cornhole and jumbo Jenga. And the patio — bright and a bit sea-inspired with HD TVs for sports fans all around, minus the front dining area — is where the restaurant truly comes to life.
Alongside head chef Michael Schulze, who grew up in Palm Harbor and has worked in high-volume restaurants in northern Florida, according to D'Amico, the owners are creating a fun, crowd-pleasing bill of fare with artisan spins on what Americans consider comfort food. These items, including customizable tacos and a good amount of fresh seafood, will be served "at a competitive price" (think $$, maybe less).
"You can imagine our food being very colorful, big, artisan and really good," D'Amico says. "We're gonna make really good food without being super high-end."
The pair doesn't shy away from the word "craft," either. Having watched the craft beer explosion happen in Florida from the West Coast, they aim to carry 20 beers on tap (local brews among them) and local spirits, furthering what they call "a craft-like theme" throughout the concept. Every detail, down to the 2.5-inch sphere of ice that slowly melts into a patron's whiskey-based drink, matters.
"We're going to have craft-like qualities to everything that we do around here. We're big on making it a quality presentation as well as a quality product," says Sanchez, adding that there will be a whiskey emphasis on the something-for-everyone cocktail lineup.
In juxtaposition to the outside, the indoor half of Catcher and the Rye will showcase a warm, deep-wood, gastropub-style setting that's fit for drinking "the best whiskey selection in these parts," as Sanchez puts it. Seating at the bar and around seven high-top tables will accommodate those looking for a more intimate ambiance than the open-air restaurant offers.
Regular charity fundraisers, outdoor concerts and daily deals for local heroes and civil servants like veterans (Sanchez is a navy vet himself) are part of the duo's plan, too. Their main goal, though? Working with neighboring businesses to breathe more life into the historic downtown district.
"We have a really fantastic location being blocks away from the water; we're right on Alt. 19. In the years past, this was a very jumpin' place. And it's not that it's not now, but it needs a new shot of adrenaline in the arm I think," D'Amico says. "We're gonna bring that here. And we're not trying to drag down the other businesses in a competition way, we're trying to raise everybody."
So long as there are no other delays, Catcher and the Rye should open sometime in September.
This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 4, 2016.