HOLMES BEACH – City commissioners unanimously approved a request from the Crust & Q restaurant owners to amend the previously approved seating allowances for the restaurant property at 5910 Marina Drive.
On Oct. 27, the city commission unanimously approved the request to decrease the previously approved indoor seating allowance from 100 to 66 seats and increase the outdoor seating allowance from 53 to 85 seats.
The commission approval reduces the restaurant’s total seating capacity by two seats.
The staff memo provided to the commissioners noted the subject property has functioned as a multi-tenant commercial property with associated parking since the early 1960s. In 2023, the commission approved a resolution that authorized the site plan improvements, outdoor dining and the seating allowances for The Bohemian restaurant that never came to fruition.
The existing ban on amplified outdoor music remains in place.
Co-owners and business partners Ryan Fuger and Christopher Dale hope to open their barbecue and pizza restaurant in late February.
During the Oct. 27 meeting, the city’s development services director, Chad Minor, said, “The site plan review standards that you see in the staff report are the same from the original approval in 2023. They’re not requesting any changes to parking, landscaping, drainage improvements, things like that. This is specifically limited to seating allocation. I still find it compatible with the original approval.”
Alisa Amoroso, from Riker Construction Services, is acting as the business owners’ agent. When addressing the commission, she said the change was requested because Crust & Q will have a larger outdoor space and a slightly smaller interior footprint.
“Crust & Q is not proposing any outdoor entertainment or music at this venue at this time. Should that change in the future, we will come before you and ask for the special use permit,” Amoroso said. “My understanding is it’s basically just going to be television, sporting events and so forth.”
Amoroso said Fuger and Dale hope to open their new restaurant in late February.
When addressing the commission, Fuger said, “The bank had approved our financing for the project March 1st, before we ever even started and signed the lease. I self-funded under the assumption that I was given that the SBA would take two to three months to process the loan, and it took them seven months. But now we’re fully funded and moving forward.”
Commissioner Steve Oelfke said there’s some concern in the community about noise in general and he asked about Crust & Q’s plans to comply with the city’s noise regulations.
In response, Fuger said, “We’re actually spending a tremendous amount of money on an AV system that is programmable to decimal levels. So, everything’s going to be literally automated.”
Several commissioners expressed their support and appreciation for the restaurant endeavor being undertaken in that long-vacant space along one of Holmes Beach’s main traffic corridors.
After exiting the commission chambers, Fuger said, “We’re very excited. The commission’s been wonderful to work with. I think this is going to be great for the community.”
He noted Dale co-owns The Feast restaurant in Holmes Beach, which was known for its excellent pizzas before the 2024 hurricanes destroyed the pizza oven.
Fuger said he sold his own barbecue business in Kansas City before moving to Florida.
“I started my barbeque sauce down here, Locals Barbeque,” he said, noting his sauce is now sold at Detwiler’s Farm Markets and other retail locations.
