By: Laurie K. Blandford, Treasure Coast Newspapers
The creators of the popular Jupiter hangout Guanabanas are opening a new restaurant with a unique view of the St. Lucie River in Stuart.
Jon Sullivan, the general manager and vice president of Guanabanas, said he and his business partners are opening TideHouse Waterfront Restaurant at 915 N.W. Flagler Ave., overlooking Harbourage Yacht Club & Marina. It’s the location of the former Wahoo’s Riverhouse.
But it’s not going to be like the former restaurant after renovations are complete. And it’s not going to be like Guanabanas either.
Sullivan and partners made the announcement about the new restaurant in December in celebration of 10 years of Guanabanas. They had planned to open TideHouse in February but ran into construction delays. Now, they’re hoping for the summer.
They had been trying to find a location for a second Guanabanas for years, he said. The restaurant and other hangouts in the Jupiter Inlet area grew organically and successfully in the last decade.
“When you try to duplicate that, it becomes extremely cost-prohibitive,” Sullivan said, “but it also becomes, for us — it has to feel right.”
They tried different projects in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Naples and across the state, but none had the right vibe, he said. Then, they found the Stuart location to lease but realized the space was too different from the Jupiter restaurant to duplicate.
“Guanabanas is like a jungle and unique in that nature, and putting that on a second floor in a marina obviously wouldn’t work,” Sullivan said. “However, the views down the St. Lucie River from that building are absolutely breathtaking.”
When it opens, TideHouse will be the only restaurant east of the Roosevelt Bridge on the north side of the St. Lucie River.
“The money view isn’t looking across at downtown,” Sullivan said. “The money view is actually looking down the river southeast from there. It looks like 10 miles of waterfront in front of you.”
They had been trying to find a location for a second Guanabanas for years, he said. The restaurant and other hangouts in the Jupiter Inlet area grew organically and successfully in the last decade.
“When you try to duplicate that, it becomes extremely cost-prohibitive,” Sullivan said, “but it also becomes, for us — it has to feel right.”
They tried different projects in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Naples and across the state, but none had the right vibe, he said. Then, they found the Stuart location to lease but realized the space was too different from the Jupiter restaurant to duplicate.
“Guanabanas is like a jungle and unique in that nature, and putting that on a second floor in a marina obviously wouldn’t work,” Sullivan said. “However, the views down the St. Lucie River from that building are absolutely breathtaking.”
When it opens, TideHouse will be the only restaurant east of the Roosevelt Bridge on the north side of the St. Lucie River.
“The money view isn’t looking across at downtown,” Sullivan said. “The money view is actually looking down the river southeast from there. It looks like 10 miles of waterfront in front of you.”…