Three kitchens line up summer openings around downtown
A run of summer restaurant openings shows where West Palm Beach is placing its bets.
Three kitchens line up summer openings around downtown
David Chang's fried-chicken chain Fuku has filed state permits to open at 423 S. Rosemary Ave. in the heart of downtown, with a summer 2026 target confirmed on its own site, according to What Now Miami.
Two more are close behind. Naked Farmer, the Tampa-born farm-to-table group, has permits in for 1731 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd. at the Tanger center, also aiming for summer. Garden Butcher, the Boca café known for its viral smoothies, is taking 501 S. Olive Ave. at The Shoppes on Gardenia.
Zoom in: All three are lease-and-permit moves, not soft openings — the paperwork that usually lands six to twelve months before a register rings.
The read: Downtown's restaurant row and the Palm Beach Lakes retail strip are drawing national and regional names at the same time, a bet that the foot traffic will be here by year's end. Treat the dates as targets, though: permit timelines slip, and none of the three has set a firm opening day.
A Cuba quake shook South Florida — here's what to watch
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake off Cuba's northwest coast just after 2 p.m. June 8 was felt across Florida's peninsula, with thousands of residents reporting shaking, according to the Palm Beach Post. By the numbers: the U.S. Geological Survey puts the odds of a magnitude 4-plus aftershock within a week at 67 percent, a 5-plus at 15 percent, and a 6-plus at just 2 percent. The agency's guidance if the ground moves again is simple — drop, cover and hold on.
Ten county judges keep their seats without a single challenger
For the third election cycle running, no Palm Beach County circuit judge will face voters this year — all 10 up for election were returned automatically when qualifying closed in April with no one filed against them, according to Stet News. Backstory: veteran West Palm Beach attorney Jack Scarola ties the trend to the cost of a countywide race and to gubernatorial appointments, which have let Govs. Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis name 20 of the county's 37 sitting circuit judges. One county-bench seat is contested: Jake Noble and Schnelle Tonge are vying to replace the retiring Judge Debra Moses Stephens.
Palm Beach State welders forged a steel eagle for July 4 judging
Eleven Palm Beach State College welding students spent more than 350 hours turning 325 pounds of raw steel into 'Forged Freedom,' a bald eagle with a 6-foot wingspan entered in a statewide contest marking America's 250th, in coverage from Stet News. Instructor Todd Rowley said the students did all the fabrication themselves — 'I wasn't allowed to help them at all.' Winners are due to be announced before the Fourth of July, and the finished piece will stand at a new roundabout on the college's Lake Worth Beach campus off Lake Worth Road.
BeBe Winans brings the Gospel Gala to the Kravis Center
Saturday, June 13: BeBe Winans headlines the Gospel Gala at 7 p.m. in the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Concert Hall at the Kravis Center. It's the marquee downtown show before the hall's summer slate thins out, with Celtic Throne II following June 28.
Ann Norton garden tour closes the season Friday
On Friday: Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens hosts its Second Friday Master Gardener in Residence Tour on June 12 at 11 a.m., with CJ McCartney leading the garden walk. Visitors should call 561-832-5328 for reservations before heading to the garden, especially if they want the guided plant-care angle rather than a self-guided stroll.
Celtic Throne II lands at the Kravis Center June 28
On June 28: Celtic Throne II - Psalter of Ireland comes to the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Concert Hall at 7 p.m., according to the Kravis Center. The show celebrates Irish culture and heritage through song and dance.
Princess Concert is set for July 3 downtown
On July 3: The Princess Concert: West Palm Beach is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Concert Hall. Mega Events USA presents the concert, giving families a downtown option before the Fourth of July weekend starts in earnest.