At 3 p.m. Monday, Bahama Breeze officially opened its doors to the public.
The new restaurant, located at 3989 Plaza Blvd. in Butler Plaza, offers Caribbean-inspired food, handcrafted tropical drinks and an island atmosphere, with the interior design modeled after a sugar mill distillery from the Caribbean.
The chain started in Orlando, and the Gainesville location is the 38th in the country, said John Brown, the general manager.
He said he’s looking forward to making people happy and really taking care of the community.
“The budget for the restaurant is not restrictive, which allows management to do more with the area,” Brown said.
He said the restaurant offers live music on Saturdays, specific promotions during different times of the year and two happy hours — one during the day and one at night.
“We want everyone to feel like there’s something for them here at Bahama Breeze,” Brown said.
Lucía Steinkopf, a 56-year-old Gainesville resident, said she’s visited the Orlando location and is very fond of the people and food.
“It’s a restaurant that I can feel comfortable enough to take not only my friends, but my children as well,” she said.
José Luis Zerpa, a 60-year-old Gainesville resident, said the food is good, but the environment is what makes the experience great.
“The atmosphere is so chill and the area is open, so there’s enough space to really enjoy our surroundings,” he said.
