Elephant Walk to reopen at Sandestin

SANDESTIN — One of the Emerald Coast’s most popular and well-respected fine dining restaurants will soon have a second chance at success.

It has been nearly 10 years since Elephant Walk restaurant, one of the most popular and visible destinations at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, closed its doors to be rebranded Finz.

Local restaurateurs Tom Rice and Wayne Lewis, who opened The Marlin Grill at The Village of Baytowne Wharf more than a decade ago, hope to recapture the magic and recently announced plans to reopen the Elephant Walk restaurant in its former location.

“Elephant Walk was very much a treasured destination for guests and homeowners,” said Laurie Hobbs, marketing director for the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. “We’re confident that Tom and Wayne, who are known for their excellent service at the Marlin Grill, can deliver just a superior restaurant experience there at the beach.

“It’s a fabulous location and it’s a location that people want to go to,” Hobbs added.

Elephant Walk was originally opened in 1985 and was named after the 1954 Elizabeth Taylor film of the same name.

However, the popular restaurant closed in 2003 when former Sandestin owner Intrawest decided to rebrand and reposition the restaurant for a more casual clientele. Finz closed last fall but continued to host groups and parties.

One of the restaurant’s signature dishes during its original run, Grouper Elizabeth, was named in honor of the film’s famous leading lady. Although Rice and Lewis are still a couple of weeks away from finalizing their menu for the new Elephant Walk, Rice said Grouper Elizabeth will definitely make the cut.

“We want to certainly use some of the mystique and nostalgia of the Elephant Walk,” Rice said. “There are a few key menu items that we’re going to pick up off of their vintage menus and bring forward, and bring some of our flair to it as well.”

Renovations to Elephant Walk’s building are going on now. Rice said he is planning to have Elephant Walk open for dinner in late March and would extend their hours to include lunch in early May.

Rice said he expects to start hiring for the new restaurant in mid-February. By the time the restaurant is fully staffed and open for lunch, Rice said the restaurant will employee between 120 and 140 full- and part-time employees.

“The most exciting part about it is it’s just a world-class location,” Rice said. “You can go to the four corners of the earth and I don’t think you’ll find many locations that are as desirable as this one is. The location itself is extremely appealing. And then the challenge and opportunity to rekindle a concept that was such a landmark and cornerstone in the resort is a pretty nice opportunity.”

Rice said there is more pressure trying to reopen an iconic restaurant such as Elephant Walk compared with a brand new concept.

“When you open up, you are opened up to a certain level of expectation and a memory, there’s no doubt,” Rice said. “But it plays both ways. We’re getting the benefit for all those years of hard work that that restaurant had. There is a certain level of pressure you put on yourself.”

Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.