From the Destin Log...
The retro silver diner located on the corner of U.S. Highway 98 and Airport Road will soon be resurrected and restored to its glory days.
Local restaurateur Olivier Petit, owner of The Red Bar and Louis Louis in Santa Rosa Beach, recently purchased the diner and is already hard at work renovating the property.
“We are committed and definitely bringing back the Destin Diner,” said Petit. “I’ve always liked the Destin Diner and had an affinity for it. The dynamics of this place are just fabulous.”
The diner which originally opened in 1992 has been sitting vacant for six years, as each new property owner met setbacks resulting in the project being abandoned.
“The reason why it was sitting vacant for so long wasn’t because it’s not a superb site,” said John Paul Somers, real estate broker for the property. “The reason was because the former owner had a ground lease with Denny’s restaurants who never pursued the site, but with a paying lease contract there was a lack of motivation to sell it.”
Somers told The Log that he has overseen two sales of the site and numerous offers from interested parties but has always sought a buyer with intentions to resurrect diner to its original concept.
“Olivier Petit is going to use the Destin Diner to keep that retro diner look,” said Somers. “He has plans to create a really fun atmosphere for it which he has done successfully for his other restaurants and I believe he will create the same allure with the Destin Diner site.”
The process of re-opening the diner will not be an easy task however, as the restaurant is visibly in a state of disrepair.
“I’m having to redo pretty much everything; a new roof, new floors and a new kitchen,” said Petit. “I want to refurbish it from the ground up.”
Petit detailed the renovations as a major overhaul in the interior, but only minor fix-ups on the exterior in order to leave the retro appeal intact.
“It will be very much what you expect from a diner with checkered floors, booths, a long bar and an open kitchen,” said Petit. “We are going with an art deco theme much like my other restaurants but a lot of the elements are staying, so whoever knew this place before should feel very familiar.”
As for the food, Petit has an extensive three-menu plan for the diner.
“We are planning on having service 24 hours a day, with breakfast served always available like you’d expect in a diner,” he said. “Then lunch from 11-4 and dinner from 4-2.”
Petit explained that breakfast will include the traditional diner fare of pancakes and waffles, bacon, eggs, grits and all the “basic sides,” and added that he is bringing in an upscale espresso machine to offer premium coffee.
“It’s a diner but a kicked-up diner with diner fare but a quality food and atmosphere,” he said.
For lunch Petit said he plans to offer sandwiches, salads and burgers, and hopes to extend the menu to take-out patrons. However, it was the dinner menu that really excited Petit.
“I want this to become a sit-down restaurant in the evenings with some Red Bar menu items such as crab cakes, and pasta dishes. There will also be a full bar and a wine list; it will be one of the only places to come and get a night-cap.”
The diner, which will once again take the name, The Destin Diner, will seat 90 and is proposed to open in February of next year.
“With all my restaurants I try to bring the package of quality food, atmosphere and pricing,” said Petit. “And one thing all of my restaurants have in common is their unique locations. The Destin Diner is such an iconic building in the city that if you’ve visited Destin in the last 20 years you will remember it,” said Petit.
The retro silver diner located on the corner of U.S. Highway 98 and Airport Road will soon be resurrected and restored to its glory days.
Local restaurateur Olivier Petit, owner of The Red Bar and Louis Louis in Santa Rosa Beach, recently purchased the diner and is already hard at work renovating the property.
“We are committed and definitely bringing back the Destin Diner,” said Petit. “I’ve always liked the Destin Diner and had an affinity for it. The dynamics of this place are just fabulous.”
The diner which originally opened in 1992 has been sitting vacant for six years, as each new property owner met setbacks resulting in the project being abandoned.
“The reason why it was sitting vacant for so long wasn’t because it’s not a superb site,” said John Paul Somers, real estate broker for the property. “The reason was because the former owner had a ground lease with Denny’s restaurants who never pursued the site, but with a paying lease contract there was a lack of motivation to sell it.”
Somers told The Log that he has overseen two sales of the site and numerous offers from interested parties but has always sought a buyer with intentions to resurrect diner to its original concept.
“Olivier Petit is going to use the Destin Diner to keep that retro diner look,” said Somers. “He has plans to create a really fun atmosphere for it which he has done successfully for his other restaurants and I believe he will create the same allure with the Destin Diner site.”
The process of re-opening the diner will not be an easy task however, as the restaurant is visibly in a state of disrepair.
“I’m having to redo pretty much everything; a new roof, new floors and a new kitchen,” said Petit. “I want to refurbish it from the ground up.”
Petit detailed the renovations as a major overhaul in the interior, but only minor fix-ups on the exterior in order to leave the retro appeal intact.
“It will be very much what you expect from a diner with checkered floors, booths, a long bar and an open kitchen,” said Petit. “We are going with an art deco theme much like my other restaurants but a lot of the elements are staying, so whoever knew this place before should feel very familiar.”
As for the food, Petit has an extensive three-menu plan for the diner.
“We are planning on having service 24 hours a day, with breakfast served always available like you’d expect in a diner,” he said. “Then lunch from 11-4 and dinner from 4-2.”
Petit explained that breakfast will include the traditional diner fare of pancakes and waffles, bacon, eggs, grits and all the “basic sides,” and added that he is bringing in an upscale espresso machine to offer premium coffee.
“It’s a diner but a kicked-up diner with diner fare but a quality food and atmosphere,” he said.
For lunch Petit said he plans to offer sandwiches, salads and burgers, and hopes to extend the menu to take-out patrons. However, it was the dinner menu that really excited Petit.
“I want this to become a sit-down restaurant in the evenings with some Red Bar menu items such as crab cakes, and pasta dishes. There will also be a full bar and a wine list; it will be one of the only places to come and get a night-cap.”
The diner, which will once again take the name, The Destin Diner, will seat 90 and is proposed to open in February of next year.
“With all my restaurants I try to bring the package of quality food, atmosphere and pricing,” said Petit. “And one thing all of my restaurants have in common is their unique locations. The Destin Diner is such an iconic building in the city that if you’ve visited Destin in the last 20 years you will remember it,” said Petit.
