The Reserve Key West Opening with Four Restaurant Concepts
The culinary collective will bring tapas, seafood, sushi, and Italian cuisine under one roof.
KEY WEST, FL — J.C. Pernas and his wife and co-owner, Patricia Pernas, are planning to open The Reserve Key West at 510 Southard St, Key West, FL 33040 by the end of June, though the timeline could shift with construction, Pernas told Business Debut.
The concept is taking over a former bank building that has been empty for about 8 years.
What to Expect
Pernas described The Reserve Key West as a “culinary collective” and “culinary landmark” with four restaurant concepts inside a 5,000-square-foot building, Pernas told Business Debut. The restaurants will be local operators offering smaller versions of their existing concepts.
The lineup is expected to include Spanish tapas, fresh seafood with oysters, Italian cuisine, and sushi and Thai, Pernas told Business Debut. Guests will be able to order from all four restaurant menus and the bar through a QR code on one tab, or walk up to each individual concept to order directly.
The space will seat about 125 guests and will include bar seating, Pernas told Business Debut. The Reserve Key West will also have a stage for live music.
Menu and Vision
The project is built around the building’s history as a former Bank of America and, before that, First Federal Bank in the 1960s, Pernas told Business Debut. The team is keeping a bank-inspired setting, including a speakeasy inside the original bank vault that will require a code for access.
The space will also include a carousel bar inspired by the one at Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Pernas told Business Debut. Pernas said the connection made sense after learning that Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, two figures tied to Key West, frequented the New Orleans carousel bar.
The building also includes a large 1962 tile mural by artist Fran Williams, Pernas told Business Debut. Pernas said the mural depicts the drive from Miami to the Keys, with scenes of fishermen and historic moments, and that the team plans to preserve it.
Opening Timeline
The Reserve Key West is targeting an end-of-June opening, Pernas told Business Debut.
Hours
The Reserve Key West plans to open seven days a week, with initial hours expected to be noon - 10 p.m., Pernas told Business Debut.
Follow for More
Visit The Reserve Key West on its Website, Instagram and Facebook.
Ross McWaters
