As Florida’s dining scene evolves, we continue to say goodbye to old favorites and hello to promising newcomers, bringing a fresh wave of flavor to the Volusia-Flagler region.
In May, while some restaurants closed their doors, other fresh faces fired up their kitchens, dishing out everything from saucy comfort foods and scratch-made brunch to global bites and must-try sweets.
Hungry for something new? Here’s your guide to the latest restaurant and café openings in the Daytona Beach and Flagler area.
Volusia-Flagler restaurants that opened in May
AB Pho & Deli
312 S. Peninsula Drive, Daytona Beach; 386-256-7357, facebook.com
AB Pho & Deli is the newest Vietnamese eatery to join Daytona Beach’s dining scene.
The local restaurant hosted its grand opening on May 7 and serves “slow-simmered pho broth, grilled meat vermicelli bowls, crispy banh mi sandwiches, and traditional Vietnamese coffee,” among other items, according to its official Facebook page. The restaurant offers dine-in and takeout.
D’Maria Deli & Bakery
4984 Palm Coast Parkway NW., Suite 8- 9, Palm Coast; 386-601-4103
D’Maria Deli & Bakery soft opened with a limited menu in Palm Coast last month. The new deli and bakery serves a variety of Mediterranean breakfast dishes, tapas, sandwiches, salads, pizza and baked goods, according to its Google page, including tiramisu, flan, cheesecake and empadillas.
Breakfast items range from French toast to huevos fritos, Mediterranean egg omelets, and Spanish chorizo hash, while tapas range from cheese boards to patatas bravas, albondigas (beef and pork meatballs), olive trays and more.
Ellianos Coffee
341 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach; ellianos.com
This drive-thru, specialty coffee shop, which was founded more than two decades ago in Lake City, Florida, opened its first Ormond Beach location in May.
The chain previously made its Palm Coast debut in 2025, and, according to its website, its fourth store within the Volusia-Flagler region is currently in the works in New Smyrna Beach.
The new Ormond shop offers Ellianos’ classic menu of hot and iced coffee beverages, freezers, smoothies, energy drinks and shakes, alongside bagels, breakfast sandwiches and pastries.
Florida Seafood Company
250 N. Nova Road, Ormond Beach; 386-256-2909, facebook.com
Located within The Trails Shopping Center, Florida Seafood Company officially opened its doors in May.
Described as a restaurant, bar and live music venue, the new Ormond eatery offers a lengthy menu of sandwiches, steamers, sushi bowls, steak and seafood dinners. Options range from a classic seafood boil with shrimp, crab and clams to the chef’s prime rib, lobster tail dinner, crab cake sandwich and calamari.
The restaurant also offers an 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. happy hour Monday – Friday with half priced appetizers, $1 off drafts and two-for-one calls, wells and premium cocktails, according to its Facebook page.
The Frozen Frog
1474 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach; 386-236-9377
The Frozen Frog opened its first brick-and-mortar location in the final week of May under mother-and-daughter owners Debbie and Kryste Gainey.
Created in 2024, The Frozen Frog — an acronym for “fully rely on God” — initially operated as a shaved ice trailer for roughly a year under its original owners in Georgia, before the Gaineys purchased it last April.
The shop invites guests to “add a scoop of happiness” to their day with a spread of 36 Hershey’s Ice Cream flavors, including Peanut Butter Cup, Green Mint Chip and Salty Caramel Truffle, as well as about a dozen signature shaved ice flavors, sundaes, slushies and more.
Jersey Mike’s Subs
1319 Saxon Drive, Suite 21, New Smyrna Beach; 386-444-3102, jerseymikes.com
Jersey Mike’s opened its first New Smyrna Beach restaurant last month, serving as the brand’s 10th location within the Volusia-Flagler region, its website shows. The fast-casual sub shop, established at the Jersey Shore in 1956, now holds more than 3,200 locations nationwide, according to a recent release.
The popular chain is known for its variety of hot and cold subs, from the Jersey Shore Favorite and Club Supreme to Mike’s Chicken Philly and the Chipotle cheesesteak. Jersey Mike’s Subs offers dine-in, take-out and delivery.
The Local Pearl Oyster Bar
135 Canal St., New Smyrna Beach; Instagram.com/thelocalpearl
The Local Pearl quietly reopened in May at 135 Canal St., the former Jason’s Corner, under renowned chef Henry Salgado and his wife, Michele.
The two-time James Beard semifinalist has been the force behind numerous area concepts, from the esteemed Spanish River Grill tapas restaurant to the former Ricky’s Canteen/poke bar and the original Local Pearl, which closed during the pandemic.
Described as a “Southern-style oyster bar,” the New Smyrna Beach restaurant offers a concise menu that includes but is not limited to Malaga style oysters, charbroiled oysters, conch chowder, Chef Henry’s famous fried chicken, cold-water lobster rolls and a Catfish Cuban Sando.
MRBL BBQ
440 N. Dixie Freeway, New Smyrna Beach; 386-444-6848, facebook.com/MRBLBBQ
MRBL BBQ, pronounced “Marble BBQ,” soft opened in New Smyrna Beach in May.
The roadside restaurant is run by pitmaster Mike Taylor, a Florida native who pulls flavor inspiration from all barbecue styles and serves a flavor-packed menu of smoked breakfasts, tacos, homemade desserts and more.
While the smoked mac — made with Jarlsberg, gruyere and sharp cheddar — has remained a consistent favorite, other options include pulled meat sandwiches, smoked St. Louis-style ribs, three-meat platters and the MRBL Florida Cuban.
The restaurant offers takeout and outdoor seating.
Ocean Sushi Grill & Thai
3835 S. Nova Road, Port Orange; 386-777-7333, oceansushipo.com
Ocean Sushi, located at 3835 S. Nova Road next to Port Orange’s Royal Rasoi Express, celebrated its grand opening within the local Publix shopping plaza last month.
Owner Summer Lin, a Chinese native and Port Orange resident who’s spent the better part of 15 years in the restaurant industry, also operates a handful of other Central Florida sushi restaurants. Here, the eatery’s menu unfolds into a sprawling mix of steaming ramen bowls, sashimi selections, Thai dinners and desserts.
Among the restaurant’s spread of nearly 30 specialty rolls, favorites include the deep-fried Ocean Sushi Roll; the Kobe Roll, topped with slivers of seared New York strip; and the U.S. 1 Roll. More than a dozen hibachi dinners also decorate the menu, from chicken and steak to lobster, scallop and shrimp.
Original Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches of Florida
1755 Palm Harbor Parkway, Palm Coast; 904-788-9952, facebook.com
The Original Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches of Florida, a local food truck founded in 2023 under Philly natives Mary Keenan, her brother, Bryan, and sister, Helen, planted roots in Palm Coast last month with the grand opening of its new brick-and-mortar restaurant.
The star of its menu is the classic Philly cheesesteak. Think soft-centered Amoroso rolls sourced straight from Philadelphia and tender, finely chopped meat — 100% ribeye — layered with melted American, Provolone or Wiz.
Other options include the chicken cheese steak, Italian sausage sub, and sweet pepper steak.
Did we miss any? Email hperray@usatodayco.com to be added to the list.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 10 new restaurants opened in Daytona, Flagler area in May
Reporting by Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
