The Florida Restaurant Round Up: Here's What You Missed [Nov. 5]

Florida’s dining scene keeps moving. This roundup tracks new restaurants, cafés, and community hubs opening across the state—from Jacksonville and Orlando to St. Augustine, Clermont, Davenport, Winter Haven, and Wesley Chapel.

Jacksonville (Duval County)

Oxford Place — Southern Dining in a Historic Flatiron

Oxford Place is bringing polished Southern cooking to 2902 Corinthian Ave inside the Oxford & Corinthian flatiron.

The Browns—Jerry and Hughes of Bold Birds—are opening a ~2,900-sq-ft space with about 120 seats, a full bar, and a refined-but-relaxed dining room led by Chef Thomas White.

Dinner launches first, with brunch to follow; expect NOLA-style barbecue shrimp, a grit soufflé with bacon beurre blanc, and blackened redfish with Hoppin’ John. Target opening is late 2025–early 2026.
Source: Business Debut

Clermont (Lake County)

Pups Pub — Off-Leash Dog Bar + Sports Bar

Pups Pub lands at 898 W Montrose St, turning an old auto shop into an open-air dog bar with bay doors and ~0.3 acres of outdoor play area.

Guests can sip beer and wine while dogs roam in a secure setting; food comes via kiosks tied to nearby restaurants. Planned hours run afternoons to late night, with an opening window late Jan–early Feb 2026 pending final approvals.
Source: Business Debut

Orlando / SODO (Orange County)

Zaza Cuban Comfort Food — Flagship for the Next Growth Phase

Zaza’s 11th location is headed to 1621 S. Orange Ave with ~2,300 sq. ft., ~55 indoor seats, and terrace seating. It’s fast-casual all day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—with pickup windows for mobile orders (no drive-thru).

Menu staples include Cuban sandwiches, ropa vieja, lechón asado, vaca frita, pastries, and Zaza’s house-roasted coffee; opening is Feb–Mar 2026.
Source: Business Debut

Wesley Chapel (Pasco County)

Haraz Coffee House — Yemeni Coffee, Late Hours

Haraz Coffee House opens at 1722 Bruce B Downs Blvd with ~2,000 sq. ft. and seating for ~64.

Drinks range from espresso classics to Yemeni signatures like the Harazi Latte and Adeni Chai; food spans croissants and cheesecakes to savory Middle Eastern pies and bee bites. Hours run Sun–Thu 7a–11p and Fri–Sat 7a–12a, with a Thanksgiving week target and hiring underway.
Source: Business Debut

Winter Haven (Polk County)

Kokomo’s Café — Art, Books, and Flatbreads

Kokomo’s Café is a creative hangout at 322 4th St NW with ~2,000 sq. ft., ~50 seats, and a free lending library of ~2,000 books plus a kids’ nook.

Expect soups, salads, sandwiches, and flatbreads—try the Hot Honey Pepperoni—alongside espresso, tea, boba, and a light alcohol list.

A soft open will follow final inspections, with a grand opening mid–late November; hours are Tue–Thu 11a–9p and Fri–Sat 11a–10p.
Source: Business Debut

Davenport (Polk County)

Tequila Real Mexican Bar & Grill — First Florida Location

Tequila Real heads to 400 Legacy Village Dr., Suite 101 with ~3,100 sq. ft., ~157 seats, and a full bar anchored by signature margaritas.

The family-run menu is prepped daily and notably broad—11 burritos and 6–7 fajita options, including the owner’s pick, Texas fajitas.

The team is aiming for December 2025 (construction-dependent) with tentative hours 11a–10/11p.
Source: Business Debut

St. Augustine (St. Johns County)

The Outpost at Old Moultrie — Shipping-Container Community Hub

This mixed-use gathering spot at 2505 Old Moultrie Rd will feature 10 modular containers for retail and F&B, a commercial playground, and a 70′×70′ covered seating area with a stage for movies and sports.

Tenant applications are open now; operations are roughly 12 months out, subject to permitting and construction. Planned hours are 7a–8:30p on weekdays and 7a–10p on weekends.
Source: Business Debut

Quick Openings Calendar

• Kokomo’s Café (Winter Haven): Mid–late November 2025.
• Haraz Coffee House (Wesley Chapel): Thanksgiving week 2025.
• Tequila Real (Davenport): December 2025 (target).
• Oxford Place (Jacksonville): Late 2025–early 2026.
• Pups Pub (Clermont): Late January–early February 2026.
• Zaza Cuban Comfort Food (Orlando/SODO): February–March 2026.
• The Outpost at Old Moultrie (St. Augustine): ~2026.

FAQs

1) When are they opening?

• Kokomo’s Café (Winter Haven): Mid–late Nov 2025 (soft open after inspections).
• Haraz Coffee House (Wesley Chapel): Thanksgiving week 2025 (pending approvals).
• Tequila Real (Davenport): December 2025 (construction-dependent).
• Oxford Place (Jacksonville): Late 2025–early 2026.
• Pups Pub (Clermont): Late Jan–early Feb 2026.
• Zaza (Orlando/SODO): Feb–Mar 2026.
• The Outpost at Old Moultrie (St. Augustine): ~2026.

2) Where are they located?

• Oxford Place: 2902 Corinthian Ave, Jacksonville, FL.
• Pups Pub: 898 W Montrose St, Clermont, FL.
• Zaza (SODO): 1621 S. Orange Ave, Orlando, FL.
• Haraz: 1722 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Wesley Chapel, FL.
• Kokomo’s: 322 4th St NW, Winter Haven, FL.
• Tequila Real: 400 Legacy Village Dr., Ste 101, Davenport, FL.
• Outpost: 2505 Old Moultrie Rd, St. Augustine, FL.

3) What are the hours (confirmed or planned)?

• Haraz: Sun–Thu 7a–11p; Fri–Sat 7a–12a.
• Kokomo’s: Tue–Thu 11a–9p; Fri–Sat 11a–10p.
• Pups Pub (planned): Mon–Thu 5–10p; Fri 5–11p; Sat 12–11p; Sun 12–10p.
• Tequila Real (tentative): Mon–Thu 11a–10p; Fri–Sat 11a–11p; Sun 11a–10p.
• Oxford Place, Zaza, Outpost: Final hours TBA.

4) What’s the concept and menu at each spot?

• Oxford Place: Refined Southern—BBQ shrimp, grit soufflé, blackened redfish; cocktails & wine.
• Zaza: Cuban comfort—Cuban sandwiches, ropa vieja, lechón, pastries; robust coffee program.
• Haraz: Yemeni-inspired coffees (Harazi Latte, Adeni Chai) + pastries, Middle Eastern pies, bee bites.
• Kokomo’s: Art/book café; soups, salads, sandwiches, flatbreads (Hot Honey Pepperoni); coffee, boba, beer/wine.
• Tequila Real: Made-daily Mexican; 11 burritos, 6–7 fajitas; signature margaritas.
• Pups Pub: Dog-friendly bar; beer & wine, food via local-restaurant kiosks.
• Outpost: Mixed-use container hub; rotating food trucks and vendors.

5) Who’s behind these projects?

• Oxford Place: Jerry & Hughes Brown (Bold Birds); Chef Thomas White.
• Zaza: Founder Ruben Perez; CEO Luis Fernandez; roasting by the Perez family.
• Tequila Real: Richard “Richie” Acevedo with Maggie Flores and Melissa Acevedo.
• Outpost: Justin & Jessica Tahilramani.
• Kokomo’s: Chloe Shreeve (with partner Christopher Barton).
• Haraz (Wesley Chapel): Franchisee Abed Mahmoud (with Nais Ahmad).