Palm Beach's first Intracoastal waterfront restaurant's use agreement gets OK from council

Palm Beach’s soon-to-be first lakeside waterfront restaurant is all but constructed, following a Town Council vote to approve — with conditions — the declaration-of-use agreement for the fine dining eatery at the rebuilt Royal Poinciana Playhouse.

Discussion during Wednesday's development review meeting on the governing agreement between Tutto Mare and the town centered on aspects of the restaurant's day-to-day operations and questions about its town-serving status.

James Crowley, the attorney who represented Southampton, New York-based Tutto Il Giorno Restaurant Group, led the discussion highlighting the hours of operation that were agreed upon during the project’s Dec. 13 development review meeting.

While the declaration-of-use agreement gives a 30-minute grace period for guests to finish their meals following the kitchen’s closure, he asked for the grace period not to be strictly enforced.

“I just want a little bit flexibility to not be rude to guests that are sitting there finishing their dinner if they ordered before 10 (p.m.), when the kitchen closes,” Crowley said.

Council Member Bobbie Lindsay asked Crowley if Tutto Marre would commit, as promised during the Dec. 13 meeting, to restricting outdoor seating to dining guests.

“People get boisterous if they’re just drinking ... and I just don’t want them to disturb the neighbors,” she said. “They can do that indoors.”

Crowley apologized that the restriction wasn't included in the declaration-of-use agreement and agreed to add it as a condition of its approval.

New to council members was his announcement that the owners of the 8,390-square-foot Mediterranean concept restaurant will shuttle employees to the island. Though not in the declaration-of-use agreement, the council and Crowley agreed to incorporate it.

“That’s great, and thank you for that,” Council Member Ted Cooney said. “That’s a big deal. Parking is tight there,” referring to the Royal Poinciana Plaza parking lot.

Cooney asked for the hours of operations to state clearly that the closure of the kitchen signifies the restaurant's closure.

Crowley agreed, and later said the project had received a letter of support from the neighboring Palm Beach Towers Condominium Homeowner Association.

Council Member Julie Araskog questioned the New Year’s Eve closing time, which is set at 2 a.m. Jan 1. Most of the island’s restaurants are scheduled to close by 1 a.m.

“That was approved with the larger (Royal Poinciana Playhouse) project,” Crowley said.

Araskog, after expressing concern about the restaurant's potential to become a regional attraction, floated the idea of having its town-serving threshold raised. Traditionally 50% of a business's customer base must be from the island to be considered town-serving.

“Can’t we do a higher percentage of town serving, like a 75% proof of town-serving?” Araskog said. “Because this is going to be a big regional draw.”

Her fellow council members pushed back, asking Araskog how the restaurant could prove the percentage.

“They just ask when people call, or (track) credit cards,” she replied.

Mayor Danielle Moore disagreed with Arakog's suggestion for tracking where people lived. Citing an example, Moore said guests staying at the Breakers would appear as out of town.

But Araskog maintained that all the restaurant had to do is ask.

“Let me tell you, I have never walked into a restaurant in this town in my entire life, and have them say to me, 'Where do you live?’ I think it’s always hard to prove,” Moore said.

The Council voted 4-1, with Araskog casting the nay vote, to approve the declaration-of-use agreement with the conditions that the kitchen's closure denote the closure of the restaurant; employees will be shuttled onto the island; and that the outdoor waterfront terrace to be restricted for only dining guests.

Questions remain over parking spots allotted to the project through the original 1979 declaration-of-use agreement, but the council unanimously voted to defer further discussion to the Feb. 14 development review meeting.

Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach's first lakeside restaurant wins new approval from town