Along with its two sister eateries on the island, an uber-popular restaurant in Palm Beach has expanded with an additional Florida location in Coral Gables.
Led by chef-owner and seven-time James Beard Award-nominee Clay Conley, Buccan opened its second location at 100 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables on May 22.
The Coral Gables restaurant occupies the prime ground-floor space of a newly developed and centrally located four-story mixed-use building in the affluent Miami-area city.
Known for its small-plates-centric menu of seasonally inspired American cuisine, Buccan debuted in Palm Beach in 2011 at 350 S. County Road.
Its two immediate Palm Beach neighbors are its sister eateries — Asian hotspot Imoto, opened in 2012; and gourmet-takeout Buccan Sandwich Shop, which debuted in 2014.
All three are owned and operated by the Palm Beach-based Ember Group — Conley is one of the group’s three partners. The company will open a second Imoto in Coral Gables, next door to the new Buccan, on June 8.
Neighboring them both? Buccan Sandwich Shop, which opened at 100 Miracle Mile on May 9.
That the trio of food-and-beverage businesses are able to “grow into new markets” has much to do with the “continued loyalty and appreciation” shown to them in Palm Beach, said Conley, whose partners in the Ember Group include Beach investor Piper Quinn and restaurateur Sam Slattery.
“Our team is so grateful for the support we receive every day from the Palm Beach community,” Conley said. “We can’t wait to become a part of the Coral Gables community by bringing … the good food and hospitality we’re known for.”
While Coral Gables is the second location outside of Palm Beach for Buccan and Imoto, it’s the third for Buccan Sandwich Shop.
The sandwich shop opened its second location in 2023 in West Palm Beach.
Buccan Coral Gables will feature an exhibition kitchen, a chef’s table, a bar with high-top seating, a lounge and a semi-private dining area.
“We’re thrilled to have found the perfect destination for a second Buccan, and with it, a place to bring the two other concepts that have complemented it so well on the island (of Palm Beach),” Ember Group’s Slattery said.
Collectively, Buccan, Imoto and Buccan Sandwich Shop will occupy 9,600 square feet of ground-floor space in the 40,000-square-foot building on Miracle Mile.
For more than 20 years, M.M. Cloutier has written about restaurants, wine, the hospitality industry and island history for the Palm Beach Daily News.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Uber-popular Palm Beach County restaurant expands to Coral Gables
Reporting by M.M. Cloutier, Special to Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
