NORTH PALM BEACH — North Palm Beach Country Club is getting a new restaurant led by the same people who oversee the Charlie & Joe’s at Love Street complex in Jupiter.
It will be called “The Clubhouse” restaurant and operated by Lessing’s Hospitality Group, a family-owned business for more than 130 years with more than 100 locations in the Northeast and Florida. It intends to open on Oct. 1.
“We think 'The Clubhouse' really makes sense,” Michael Lessing, its CEO, told the Village Council on Thursday, Aug. 8. “Call it what it is, right?”
The team will bring a much-needed fresh look and flavor to the country club, village officials said before approving the vendor on Thursday, Aug. 9. The group also works with 15 other golf and country clubs, including the The Pelican Club in Jupiter and the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, records show.
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The country club was previously home to the Farmer’s Table, an upscale, clean-eating restaurant that decided in May to close the location after struggling to draw customers since the COVID-19 pandemic. Village Manager Chuck Huff said it didn’t “take off” because golfers were looking for more casual food, like hot dogs and hamburgers.
The Clubhouse might open before Oct. 1 if Farmer’s Table departs earlier. Its lease is through Sept. 30, but both parties will work together to find what is best for the club, Huff said.
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The restaurant wants to have cost-conscious menu items as well as higher-end meals that would attract people celebrating special occasions, said Liz Soulen, Lessing’s director of operations.
The Clubhouse would offer one menu with hot dogs, hamburgers and wings, and another more upscale menu with poke bowls, oysters, filet mignon, Peking duck tacos and craft co*cktails, according to sample menus. It would also sell ice cream, breakfasts, lunches and snacks from the country club’s snack shack.
This is exactly what the village was looking for, council member Kristin Garrison said.
“It can address all spectrums of our community, whether they be users of our golf course, or folks that just want to go out for a burger for dinner that’s more affordable, or a nice meal for special occasions,” Garrison said.
Lessing’s would also sell wedding packages at the club, which would include photography, catering and a DJ, for about $19,495 for 100 guests. The group would also sponsor events — which might include a Fourth of July fair, boat parade and golf events — at the country club and elsewhere in the village.
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The restaurant could generate as much as $5 million in sales in its first year, Lessing said. The company plans to pay $200,000 in rent to the village in its first year, with annual 3% increases after that. It will also pay $1.2 million in capital investment toward the property when plans are approved.
Lessing said he wants to renovate the space with a covered pavilion and dark hardwood floors to replace the carpet in the dining room now. He also wants to change out its chairs and barstools for others with bright colors and arrange a gallery wall with local artwork.
“We think the bones of the restaurant are good, (but) we think it needs a fresh look,” Lessing told the Village Council.
Huff said the village will begin work on a contract this week. The Village Council is poised to vote on that deal Aug. 22.
According to documents, North Palm Beach's next choice after Lessing’s would have been MLM Food Group, which also runs the Stuart Boathouse and Hudson’s On The River in Stuart. Prosecco Café in Palm Beach Gardens and West Palm Beach-based RREMC Restaurants also submitted bids.
Mayor Susan Bickel thanked the vendors who participated because she said it was “pulling teeth” trying to find a vendor before choosing Farmer’s Table five years ago.
“I’m so thrilled that people want to be here with us,” she said.
The Clubhouse restaurant at the North Palm Beach Country Club
Where: 951 US-1, North Palm Beach
Opening date: Oct. 1, 2024
For more information: Check the Village of North Palm Beach website or call 561-691-3433.
Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her atmwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism:Subscribe today.
