VERO BEACH — The Patio Restaurant, a Vero Beach dining tradition for decades, is about to reappear in its former location in an updated incarnation with new owners who broker Billy Moss says are among the most talented and experienced restaurateurs in town.
“This is an important restaurant for Vero Beach,” says Moss, who handled both sides of the lease transaction. “It will it will help link the Miracle Mile with main street and contribute to the revitalization of downtown.”
The landmark building with weathered wood siding at the intersection 21st Street and 11th Avenue was designed and built by Waldo Sexton, creator of the Driftwood Inn. Occupied recently by the El Toro Restaurant, which closed last year, it is most strongly associated with a prior version of The Patio that welcomed Dodger fans and other patrons for 50 years before running into trouble during the recession.
Building owners Ralph Sexton and Mark Tripson have reached an agreement with a new operator who plans to open in time for next season.
“The Sexton’s were very particular about who they leased too,” says Moss. “They turned down several people who wanted to open a restaurant there. They now feel they have found the right person.”
The new owners plan to bring back the Patio menu of yesteryear, with chops, steaks, chicken and fish, including some of the same dishes.
“They have received the old menus and have the recipes for some of the salad dressings that were used years ago,” says Moss.
“All the food preparation areas and methods will be completely updated and modern but there will be a feeling of tradition,” Moss says. “I think it will pull a lot of traffic from the beach as well as the mainland.”
The patio began as an ice cream shop in the 1940s, becoming an open-air restaurant in the 1950s.
Supposedly, the wrought iron grills that decorate the exterior were salvaged by Waldo Sexton from demolished historic buildings in other parts of Florida.