Cafe Panino’s, a downtown restaurant in the Times Square building will be closing that location. Park Partners, current owners of the building, completed a very sucessful renovation of the historic structure in 2005. All space but the now vacant restaurant is leased. Interested restaurateurs, retailers or professionals should contact Kathy Black at 298-8771 or Joe Bogdahn at 293-8289.
So what would you propose for the location?
Times Square Building
A Martini Bar. We need an adult bar that catered toward a more sofisticated crowd. Not all the people who live here just want to go out in shorts and t-shirts for a beer. It woul dbe nice to have a spot to dress nice and have a Martini and maybe hear some live jazz with a young adult atmosphere- not a 18-24 crowd, older and more mature. It would also compliment the great places like the Board Roam cigar shop and Richards coffee shop- they all just go together and I think it would be a great addition and they all would bring business to one another since they all attract a similar type of crowd. I will keep my fingers crossed
I would like to see the guys who own Pepperz open a nice restaurante Italiano. While having Carabba’s is nice, it would be awesome to bring a true Italian ambience to downtown. Also have sidewalk cafe style seating.
Would also like to see the bar section offer breakfast again – possibly even with some cappucino or espresso – it was such a great place to have breakfast.
Some great ideas here! A place for the people that don’t fit into the “baggy pants crowd” (20′s beer drinkers) would be a wonderful addition to downtown. And I totally agree with this John Gessman character on the sidewalk seating. Even in the summertime, people love to sit outside and watch the action. A few umbrellas for shade wouldn’t hurt…
So long, Cafe Panino. No love lost there.
Whatever moves into that space, or anywhere else in town for that matter, depends upon trade for survival. If people don’t come, they go. The message is that if you like a particular restaurant or pub or bar or club or shop or whatever, you should support them with your patronage.
Let’s get more foot traffic into downtown Winter Haven, and not just on Saturday night.
Any type of restaurant that actually is open during the hours posted and that provides SERVICE would be great. I’m not surprised Cafe Panino is closing, as the last few times I went there, either they were not open, or after I was seated I didn’t get waited on. . . Not a great way to run a business. Aother Italian restaurant would be great, as would a good Chinese restaurant.
Hooters
I have the perfect idea for this location. It definitely is more European style. No, not Italian, not Chinese, not Mexican. A totally different experience, perfect for Winter Haven downtown. Just need the right investors for my idea.
Fred’s country buffet was looking for a place in Winter Haven, I guess we are too sophisticated for that though, they tried for the Christies restaurant, but the owner required a bar, then they tried for the old Quincys building, but that fell through. Now they have decided on the old Scotty’s building in Bartow. A great loss for Winter Haven.
How about either a great German or Greek Restaurant? Good ethnic food, more adult patrons, fun entertainment…all would invite more people to our downtown.
How about an Asian Fusion restaurant with Marty’s martini bar and jazz ?
I vote for the martini bar or wine bar too! A hip, fun, dressier place for the ‘older crowd’ with no place to go out in Winter Haven. And it would be great if it had outdoors seating.
Winter Haven Needs an Upscale nightclub.
I like Marty’s idea of the martini bar I had often thought of opening a jazzy wine and martini bar downtown myself. But after recently moving here from Orlando I miss the diverse choices of ethnic food. I would like not to have to drive an hour and a half for Indian food. So I vote for Indian.
On one of our trips, my wife and I visited a superb upscale BYOB Italian bistro style restaurant in the town of Mullica Hill in southern New Jersey. It was called the TOSCANA GRILL & PIZZERIA.
They featured “made-to-order” specialty brick oven pizza, the finest quality, delicious firewood grill certified black angus beef and out-of-this-world pasta specials. Service was excellent and the food was great. Prices were reasonable as well. We have yet to find another restaurant that even comes close and we’ve been to many.
A restaurant like this would definitely be the crown jewel addition to downtown Winter Haven.