01-04-2025
When is Dune Dog Cafe opening at Carlin Park in Jupiter? What we know
JUPITER – Dune Dog Cafe is still opening a restaurant on the beach in Jupiter – the process is just taking longer than expected.
The restaurant long familiar to northern Palm Beach County families is poised to take over the now-empty breakfast-and-lunch spot at Carlin Park for its fourth restaurant.
It announced its plans to renovate the space long occupied by Duke's Lazy Loggerhead Cafe in the fall of 2023, with the goal of opening there in early 2024. Since then, it has faced 'unforeseen' delays with construction, according to Ricky Berrios, its director of operations.
Lazy Loggerhead closed in August 2022 after 25 years of serving waffles, pancakes, burgers and BLTs to beachgoers at the Jupiter park. It was a favorite of those who lived between the Jupiter Inlet and the Juno Beach Pier.
The original Dune Dog opened in 1994 on Alternate A1A in Jupiter, and the restaurant now also has locations in Stuart and Cocoa Beach. It is known for its combo platters, fish sandwiches, seafood dinners and hot dogs. Its best-selling menu item is their foot-long Junkyard Dog topped with chili, cheese, diced onions and tomato sauce.
The new location could open as early as the end of July and as late right before Thanksgiving, said Berrios.
Realistically, he expects it to open by the end of August or September.
Dune Dog's staff discovered that the building needed unexpected repairs, particularly with its piping and wiring.
'As (we were) peeling back layers in that building, there were things that were unforeseen that we need to take care of and make sure that the building is 100% perfect by the time we go to open,' said Berrios, who added that the building is more than 35 years old.
Dune Dog is going through the final rounds of the permitting process now. Once this is done – which could be this week – the general contractor will take 10 days to mobilize his teams.
Then, renovations will take about four months to complete, Berrios said.
The location in Carlin Park will be a brand-new concept for the eatery called 'Dune Dog's Beach Shack,' serving breakfast and lunch and closing at sunset.
The menu will feature breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, omelets, crawfish eggs benedict and a "smashburger," in addition to classic Dune Dog favorites.
The space will be renovated to match a Key West-style aesthetic.
Greg Bartoli, Dune Dog's owner, hopes to add wood paneling to warm up the space as well as outdoor seating and an improved take-out window.
Crews will completely gut the inside, replace the underground pipes, rewire the internal electrical system and install a new grease trap, hood, air conditioning unit and doors, Berrios said.
This restaurant will be the smallest of all Dune Dog locations, with a capacity of around 50 people.
'It's a local gem,' Berrios said. 'I used to frequent the Lazy Loggerhead a lot growing up. It's a staple in Jupiter, much like our Dune Dog Jupiter location. We are trying to keep it with that local Jupiter feel.'
Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@ Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dune Dog's Beach Shack: Opening date, menu for new Jupiter location
