Dear Olivia restaurant in Parkland. {Parkland Talk}
By Gael-Lynn Laguerre
Aiming to offer a modern environment with an eclectic menu of elevated American comfort food, Dear Olivia, under P Hospitality, plans to stand out among the standard food spots and attract loyal local clientele from Parkland.
Eddie Pozzuoli, P Hospitality’s chief executive officer and a Broward local, shares his team’s excitement about securing the set Parkland location —one he has had a long-standing interest in since being shown the property that was home to the former Déjà Blue restaurant.
“Immediately, we all got excited,” stated Pozzuoli. “This was a space we tried to acquire in the past. We all grew up out this way. Doing something in the hometown makes it more special.”
In December, Déjà Blue permanently closed its doors. The Mediterranean-inspired eatery shut down after “eight wonderful years of serving the Parkland community.”
“Our journey has come to an end,” read a message posted on the restaurant’s website. “Thank you for all the memories and support over the years.”
The restaurant is expected to open in summer 2025.
Pozzuoli, alongside other P Hospitality partners, brings decades of hospitality experience. The company’s dining portfolio includes Eddie & Vinny’s, Prezzo Boca Raton, Prezzo Palm Beach Gardens, Corvina Seafood Grill, and soon Dear Olivia.
He highlights the venture as a new concept that aims to bring an upbeat, high-energy restaurant and bar to an area that lacks such venues.
“West Broward is not recognized for doing anything with high-energy kinds of bars. So we wanted to inject a little bit of that into the space.”
Paul Greenberg, P Hospitality’s chief culture officer, also highlights that the company aims to provide a social gathering spot for locals that offers a fun experience without the high costs of traveling to places like Fort Lauderdale or Miami.
“A lot of people we know right around our age, between 30s and 50s, have kids, your $400 in a bag already between a babysitter and Uber to Fort Lauderdale, Greenberg explains. “We want to bring the same flashy concepts in Miami, Fort Laud, and West Palm out west, there hasn’t been anything like that out here.”
Greenberg expresses both his and Pozzuoli’s shared emphasis on family and creating a welcoming, diverse environment for all ages in the ever-evolving nature of the business.
“One thing about our core values is that we all believe in family,” Greenberg continues. “We want to invoke a good feeling of happiness, joy, community, and togetherness.”
The partners also highlight their natural inclination towards the restaurant industry and why it is so vital to maintain the prized art of hospitality.
“I think that hospitality is a lost art nowadays, Greenberg exclaims. How many times do you go out to dinner, and a manager doesn’t even stop by your table to say hi? We make it a point to talk to everybody that walks in here. Everybody that walks in should leave smiling.”
Pozzuoli and Greenberg also mention that key management employees are already on board and that there is value in having a cohesive and dedicated team.
“When you have the whole team behind you, that makes a great restaurant. We wouldn’t ask our team to do anything we would not do.”
The hospitality team also discussed the financial benefits of having quality meals at an affordable price that appeal to the local community.
“Money is tight for a lot of people right now,” Pozzuoli adds. “So, we want to make an effort for this location and ensure that we provide a value that people can appreciate, as well as the quality we plan to bring to Parkland.”
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