Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
2 popular watering holes to reopen
Two popular South Florida watering holes have gone dry due to ongoing renovations, but Nick’s Bar and Grill on Hollywood beach and Waxy O’Connor’s Irish Pub in Fort Lauderdale hope to be back in business in coming months.
Each closed in summer 2018 for renovations that were expected to be relatively quick, but both establishments needed total gutting after early work revealed extensive termite damage to aging buildings.
Waxy’s back for rugby tourney?
Mark Rohleder, the owner of Waxy O’Connor’s, says he’s aiming for a February opening.
“We keep getting texts from customers, ‘What’s going on?’ ‘Are you going to reopen?’” says Rohleder. Waxy’s website and Facebook page say, “Keep Calm — We Are Only Closed For Renovations.”
Waxy’s is a gathering spot for rugby fans, and a major international tournament, the Six Nations Championship, runs Feb. 1-March 16. If all goes well with pouring concrete for the patio, finishing the interior and inspections, the pub could reopen for the tournament’s opening week and the Super Bowl (Feb. 3). But Rohleder cautioned that delays are possible.
Waxy’s has been a mainstay for 21 years on the busy 17th Street corridor near Port Everglades, and is known for pints of Guinness and pub grub such as bangers and mash.
“Come back soon — I need a pot pie!” a Facebook user named Cheri Peppe wrote on Waxy’s Facebook page.
“I really hope they keep the old charm,” Kandi Rinker-Jollay wrote.
Waxy’s closed in July 2018 and initially hoped to reopen by Halloween. But the structure, built in 1958, showed extensive rot and termite damage and a teardown ensued.
Nick’s aims for April
A similar thing happened at Nicks, 1214 N. Broadwalk in Hollywood. The owners say they hope to reopen by April.
“You know the story — you think it’s going to be quick and then reality hits,” says Robert Bettencourt, a Nick’s manager whose uncles Bob Ferro and Carl Ferro own the bar/eatery. The Nick’s building dates to the 1940s, when it started as a hot dog stand.
Nick’s, a landmark on the Hollywood Broadwalk for 40 years, has been used for scenes in numerous movies including 1981’s “Body Heat” and 2008’s “Marley and Me.” It will miss peak tourist season, but Bettencourt says the eatery draws a year-round crowd of locals and tourists.
The eatery is known for its laid-back beach vibe, New England-style seafood such as lobsters and steamed clams (the Ferros are from Boston) and latenight service, with the bar open until 4 a.m.
Workers were busy at the site Thursday morning, with a new stone facade in place. Bettencourt says the refurbished restaurant will feature slightly higher ceilings, 12 feet instead of 10 feet). When Nick’s reopens, bathing-suit clad patrons will still be able to grab rumrunners and cold beers through open windows fronting the bar, but those windows will be roll-down and hurricane-proof.
“We’ll pretty much be the same Nick’s,” Bettencourt says.