The Business Corner

Five Years in the Making: “V” Restaurant
at Hotel Viridian to Debut on Highway 30-A

A teaser branding campaign is launched – What’s Blue and Green and V All Over?

The much-anticipated Hotel Viridian, located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Highway 30-A and 395 in Seagrove Beach, Florida, is currently under construction and nearing the completion of phase one of the two-phase project. The hotel’s name, “Viridian,” draws its inspiration from and pays homage to the blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico—hence the teaser campaign: “What’s Blue and Green and V All Over?” The single-story 6,700-square-foot restaurant “V,” with plans to open doors to patrons in March 2011, will be the first phase completed with the hotel portion coming soon.

“This project has been in the making for over five years. My partners and I consider it a beacon of hope for the community—and a true blessing that we’re able to see our vision realized,” said co-owner and seasoned restaurateur George Hartley. “V” will offer a relaxed, eclectic atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor dining for up to 120 patrons, and a menu focused on fresh seafood and produce that is locally sourced. “We’re at the beach in Seagrove—a place that has its own unique personality—and we’re going to cater to our clientele,” added Hartley. “It was a collective decision to open the restaurant first, enabling us to showcase the spirit and ambience that will be reflected in the boutique-style hotel when it’s completed. We’ve assembled a team of culinary professionals that is unparalleled in the area, and we believe the spirit of excellence found here will raise the bar of upscale dining along 30-A.”

Serving as testament to Hartley’s statement were the recent Preview Hard Hat Dinner and Party events held on property in early November. Restaurant veteran and “V” general manager Sean Goss, executive chef David Cunningham, former chef of the recently closed Commander’s Palace at the Emerald Grande, and executive chef David Carrier, formerly of the famed Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry and most recently chef and owner of Avenue Sea in Apalachicola, Florida, created an unrivaled culinary experience. Together they created a menu hybrid that takes influences from each and promises to deliver quality fare at an affordable price. “As a central gathering and dining venue, ‘V’ will be the heartbeat of Hotel Viridian and will act as a showpiece for our master plan of what life will be like there,” added co-owner and partner Chip Haring. Hotel Viridian promises to be the jewel at the center of the new downtown Seagrove project with each of the thirty boutique hotel rooms and ten villas available for purchase as a fractional ownership.

Beach Properties of Florida are the exclusive brokers for Hotel Viridian and will be opening a satellite office on-site. The qualified real estate experts plan to use “V” as a glimpse into the future of the project—“a slice of life” model will unfold on a daily basis to reveal the stylish personality of the restaurant and hotel.

“It’s rare to be able to showcase real estate in this manner and we believe it is going to be a great sales tool to sell this new concept to the community,” added Beach Properties of Florida broker and co-owner Hunter Harman.

The hotel’s luxury king-size units will vary from 600-square-foot studios to 1,200-square-foot corner suites and will feature floor-to-ceiling windows to private terraces offering expansive views overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, custom-designed furnishings, oversized closets, and opulent bathrooms with freestanding sauna tubs and spas.

Hotel Viridian’s ultrachic campus-style setting will include a lobby bar, the restaurant “V,” a world-class spa and wellness center, retail shops, and ample parking on the north side of the property. A rooftop garden will boast an infinity-edge pool and five permanent cabanas. The modern-inspired design is the brainchild of architect Roger Godwin, principal of Destin-based DAG Architects, in collaboration with McWhorter Architects of Seagrove Beach. The developers of Hotel Viridian recently acquired the Gulf-front property directly across Highway 30-A to ensure that future development of that property is done in such a way as to protect the integrity of the hotel’s visual corridors of the Gulf—thereby protecting the investment of future Viridian owners. “A Miami-style influence to the architectural vernacular with clean lines is melded with an old-Florida Art Deco to create a unique statement for 30A’s unique neighborhood of Seagrove Beach,” said Roger Godwin.

— V —

To learn more about real estate opportunities, visit
beachpropertiesfla.com or hotelviridian.com

To learn about daily updates on restaurant “V,” please visit their Facebook page