Eateries spice up ISB

The Bahama Breeze Island Grille and an Olive Garden, seen here during final construction in June prior to a new IHOP next door, are at the corner of Bill France and International Speedway boulevards in Daytona Beach. ISB has seen an influx of restaurants cropping up in the past two years and more are planned.

DAYTONA BEACH When restaurateurs Tim Curtis and L. Gale Lemerand looked at potential restaurant sites along International Speedway Boulevard near Daytona International Speedway a year ago, they saw too many restaurants fighting over the same dollar, Curtis said.

Today, they see the nearly three-mile stretch between Interstate 95 and Clyde Morris Boulevard in a different light.

The business partners recently submitted an offer to enter into a 30-year lease for the Volusia County-owned former Olive Garden property next to Daytona Beach International Airport where they intend to build a state-of-the-art Houligans family sports grill restaurant.

Lemerand, who also owns or is a major investor in several other restaurant chains, also plans to open a Pie Five pizzeria in the Kmart-anchored shopping center on the corner of International Speedway and Clyde Morris boulevards.

So what changed?

Several things, according to Curtis: International Speedway Corp.s $400 million Daytona Rising project to renovate the Speedway, which began in July, and the planned One Daytona entertainment/retail complex across the street from the race track.

Also increasing the areas appeal, he said, are ISCs plans to build a motorsports hall of fame at the Speedway, and CBL & Associates recently announced multimillion dollar renovation of Volusia Mall.

Those projects, combined with the several restaurants that have either recently opened or are planned along Daytonas ISB corridor, are poised to transform the area into a true dinner destination, Curtis said.

Restaurants that have opened or moved into new facilities along the corridor in the past three years include Applebees, Bahama Breeze, BJs Restaurant & Brewhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, Olive Garden and Outback Steakhouse.

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Eateries spice up ISB