12 July 16-22, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | PLAN YOUR WEDDINGS | CORPORATE EVENTS SOCIAL EVENTS Dream Event VIEW OUR EVENT SPACES WWW.THERUSTYPELICAN.COM at 3201 RICKENBACKER CWY, KEY BISCAYNE, FL 33149 | 305.361.3818 BE SOCIAL WITH US! /RUSTYPELICANMIAMI is the food. They’re known for their walls of jerky, made-to-order brisket and pulled pork sand- wiches, fudge by the slab, and Beaver Nuggets. (The latter are the caramel-coated corn puffs, the chain’s best-selling snack.) The stores don’t allow 18-wheelers, so you get the scale of a truck stop without the crowding, and fans regularly drive hours out of their way just to fill up, use the restroom, and load up on beaver merch. The Fort Pierce outpost is one of four coming to the state by 2029, bringing Florida’s total to six. Right now, the chain runs just two Florida stores, both on I-95 and both open since 2021, in- cluding St. Augustine at 200 World Commerce Parkway and Daytona Beach at 2330 Gateway North Drive. Tallahassee gets the next one, targeted for 2027 and set to be the chain’s first location in the Panhandle. Ocala, on I-75, was pushed to 2029 to line up with the construction of a new highway in- terchange. Port Charlotte rounds out the group as Southwest Florida’s first outpost, though the company hasn’t attached a date to it. Buc-ee’s briefly billed the Fort Pierce store as the world’s largest convenience store, then walked it back. The company later conceded that measurement variances mean the original Luling, Texas, location keeps the crown. Close, but the Beaver isn’t dethroning itself just yet. The reason South Florida is getting skipped comes down to land. Each Buc-ee’s needs a massive store footprint, 100-plus pumps, and parking for hundreds of cars, and that kind of acreage is hard to come by south of the Treasure Coast. For now, Fort Pierce is as close as it gets. The chain isn’t slowing down anywhere else. It opened its westernmost store in Goodyear, Ari- zona, on June 22, and it has projects going across roughly 16 states, from Georgia and Tennessee to Kansas and Louisiana. Building each one takes 18 to 24 months once crews break ground, which explains why Miami drivers will still be making the drive north for a while. Buc-ee’s. 200 World Commerce Parkway, St. Augustine; 2330 Gateway N. Drive, Daytona Beach; buc-ees.com. The Fort Pierce location along I-95 and Indrio Road will open in late 2027 or early 2028. OLEE FOWLER ▼ EDGEWATER SMOKE ON THE WATER One of South Florida’s fastest-growing restaurant groups is betting big on Miami again. The team behind Daniel’s, the award-winning Coral Gables steakhouse, is planning a new waterfront restau- rant in Edgewater. Daniel’s Miami was founded by the father- daughter duo Thomas (Tom) Angelo and Kassidy Angelo, alongside Culinary Director Danny Ganem. The team will open the restaurant on the ground floor of Aimco’s luxury waterfront devel- opment at 560 NE 34th St. Here, they will bring their celebrated steaks, seafood, and hospitality to the shores of Biscayne Bay. The announcement continues what has become a remarkable run for the company. After opening Daniel’s, A Florida Steakhouse in Fort Lauderdale in fall 2024, Gioia Hospitality Group expanded into Coral Gables with Daniel’s Miami in 2025. In less than two years, the restaurant group has earned Michelin Guide recognition on both sides of the county line and landed Daniel’s Miami at No. 40 on the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list for 2026, with rankings of No. 7 in North America and No. 6 in the United States. Now the Angelos are taking on one of Miami’s most coveted dining settings. The new restaurant will span approximately 11,500 square feet, including 2,500 square feet of outdoor space overlooking Biscayne Bay. Plans call for a waterfront bar sitting directly on the wa- ter and expansive indoor and outdoor dining ar- eas. Plus, a menu centered around Daniel’s signature steaks alongside pristine seafood. The restaurant is expected to become one of the signature dining destinations within the lux- ury residential development. “This is an incredibly exciting moment for Gioia Hospitality Group and demonstrates our commitment to the South Florida market,” co- founder Thomas said in a statement. “This special location and extraordinary space give us the op- portunity to create something truly special di- rectly on Biscayne Bay.” Photo by JuliaDorian / Adobe Stock Buc-ee’s is known for its grab-and-go meals, including pulled pork sandwiches and Beaver Chips (house-made potato chips). Taste Test from p11 THE STORES DON’T ALLOW 18-WHEELERS, SO YOU GET THE SCALE OF A TRUCK STOP WITHOUT THE CROWDING.
