A mere 50 feet from its previous location, Double Roads in Jupiter finally opened its doors to customers old and new in late January after going dark for almost two years. Owner Vince Flora shut down the long-standing local music lovers’ haunt in 2021 due to a combination of issues, from COVID to noise ordinances to a lack of sufficient parking. And the bar’s regulars weren’t happy. “There was so much outcry in town over our closing, so when someone approached us about a year after we closed about reopening, we decided we would do it again,” says Flora.
Flora landed not far from the original location, snatching up the old Outback Steakhouse site when the restaurant shut down. And with a lot more space than its previous location—
7,000 square feet to be exact—plus great acoustics and plenty of parking, Flora was able to expand on the live music restaurant concept and make Double Roads both bigger and better than before.
Double Roads has a bit of everything: daily live music, a full-service restaurant, a record store with a vinyl inventory of more than 10,000, a music and memorabilia store, a pizzeria, and a membership-based speakeasy. “We took everything out, pulled the nails out, and recycled wood as much as possible,” Flora says of transforming the space. “I was the lead carpenter and designer. This is basically a culmination of all the things I always wanted to do but didn’t have the room for previously.”
Music is still the main beat at Double Roads, seven nights a week. Monday nights feature a Chicago blues jam session, and Tuesdays are devoted to sets by various local musicians. Wednesdays bring in country music and line dancing, and Thursdays are all about rock and blues. Dance music dominates weekends, with a 5:30 p.m. early show and a 9 p.m. (much louder) show. The restaurant also offers Sunday brunch, which of course comes with live music. And when the sun goes down on Sundays, a jazz jam takes over the scene, with local musicians encouraged to join in.
For those who know, it’s no surprise that music is such a strong focus of the new Double Roads—after all, that’s what Flora, a musician himself, built the original business on. Flora’s own blues, rock, and R&B band, Big Vince and the Phat Cats, performs the fourth Saturday of every month. Originally from New Jersey, Flora—who plays harmonica and guitar—toured with major artists for many years and moved to South Florida back in the mid-1990s. When he arrived in the area, he heard about a Jupiter beach spot called Double Roads where teenagers surfed and partied around bonfires—and something about it struck him.
“I just love the history,” he says. “The name is iconic, so I incorporated it into the business plan I had for this restaurant venue that I’d been dreaming about my whole life.”
When he started planning the new incarnation, he decided to play up the food more, focusing on barbecue. “Our food is South Florida–style barbecue, which means we are influenced by everyone,” he says. Other popular menu items are the Cuban egg rolls, hush puppies, and gumbo. (And, yes, the flame-broiled burgers are still on the menu.)
While Flora operates the food operations and band bookings, his wife, Kelly, runs the back of the house and the beverage program. Double Roads has liquor partnerships with some high-profile folks: Tequila brand Santo Fino Blanco, owned by rocker Sammy Hagar and Chef Guy Fieri, sponsors the main stage. And Bob Dylan’s whiskey brand, Heaven’s Door, sponsors the attached speakeasy, a by-invitation-only private room with a killer craft cocktail program.
If all that wasn’t enough, Double Roads just added an on-site pizzeria to the mix. “It’s a full vibe,” Flora says of Double Roads. “My philosophy is to give people a reason to stay. You can sit in a chair and enjoy the band, but there are also all these other things you can do while you’re here. Check out the record or the music store, browse the memorabilia, grab a slice of pizza or some barbecue, a beer, or a cocktail. This is a musical hall for people who love music.”
To reserve a spot for nightly music, purchase tickets in advance at doubleroadsfl.com; walk-ins are welcome on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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