Undertaken by the Florida Panthers in partnership with the city of Fort Lauderdale, the revitalization of Fort Lauderdale’s War Memorial Auditorium is well underway—“one of the largest restorations of a community space in South Florida since the onset of the pandemic,” says project’s website.
“Returning the War Memorial to its original glory and providing world-class entertainment, recreation and hospitality to the community is something that we take a great deal of pride in,” Florida Panthers Chief Operating Officer Bryce Hollweg told What Now in an email conversation on Monday.
The finished auditorium will include two NHL regulation-sized indoor ice rinks, including Baptist Health IcePlex, the Florida Panthers’ new practice ice rink (with stadium seating). It will also offer a dedicated community rink for the public, to be used for youth and adult hockey and for figure skating programs. All in all, the project promises “community, recreation, athletics and fitness programming for all ages.”
On top of all this, the Florida Panthers have also partnered with Knallhart Management Group to develop a 150-seat gastro-restaurant.
“We are extremely excited to work with David Cardaci and the Knallhart Management Group to bring this concept to life,” Hollweg said. “They have a deep understand of the hospitality landscape and operate some of the most successful spots in town.”
Those spots include Roxanne’s Liquor Bar & Kitchen, The Whole Enchilada Fresh Mexican Grill (which has a handful of locations in South Florida, including in Fort Lauderdale), and The Wilder, a “watering hole for bon vivants with a vision.” Knallhart Management Group was founded by David and Vanessa Cardaci.
Hollweg said the restaurant has been named but declined to reveal that name at this time, letting the project keep some of its mystery for the time being.
Here’s what we do know: the 150-seat restaurant will be situated between the two ice rinks and will also feature outdoor patio seating with a view of Holiday Park. It is expected to open in Summer 2023.
