John and Tony Lulgjuraj are opening a second location of their Oceanside Beach Bar & Grill at 1900 Ocean Shore Blvd. in Ormond-by-the-Sea.
John and Tony Lulgjuraj are opening a second location of their Oceanside Beach Bar & Grill at 1900 Ocean Shore Blvd. in Ormond-by-the-Sea.
Two brothers plan to open a new restaurant at the former Betty’s A1A Cafe location with its unobstructed ocean view in Ormond-by-the-Sea.
It was that ocean view that sold restaurateur John Lulgjuraj (pronounced loseyoureye) on the location.
“There’s good history there,” Mr. Lulgjuraj said. “My mom actually used to work for Betty a long time ago.”
Along with his brother, Tony, he plans to open their second Oceanside Beach Bar & Grill at 1900 Ocean Shore Blvd. They own and operate an Oceanside Beach Bar & Grill in Flagler Beach.
John Lulgjuraj said he visited the Betty’s A1A building last year after it became available.
“It’s rare to find a piece of property available on the ocean,” he said. “I saw the property, saw the beach and it was like it was meant to be.”
The Lulgjurajs bought the property for $1.218 million, according to Volusia County Clerk records.
John Lulgjuraj, 36, and brother, Tony, 42, share the two locations.
Their parents emigrated to the United States from Albania and went into the restaurant business. In the late 1980s the family moved to Flagler Beach from New Smyrna Beach. Tony was born in California, John in New Smyrna Beach. Both brothers played youth soccer in Ormond Beach.
They also worked in the family business from a young age.
“When you grow up in a restaurant, you learn the business from front to back,” John Lulgjuraj said. “From busing tables to taking cash at 13 and from there learning how to cook.”
The Oceanside Beach Bar & Grill in Flagler Beach offers a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. There’s a family flare with offerings like Aunt Tracy’s Spaghetti, a marinara based sauce with meatballs, and Mama’s Lasagna.
“That’s our staple,” John Lulgjuraj said of the lasagna. “That, along with the Greek Salad.”
The Flagler location has a Flagler Salad on the menu. A reporter asked if the Ormond-by-the-Sea location will have an “Ormond Salad.”
“That’s a good question,” John Lulgjuraj said. “I’ve got to figure out what my Ormondites want. That’s the best part of Oceanside. We listen to our people. As we evolve, every locality is going to be in tune with what the people want. That’s what they’re for, good food and good people.”
John Lulgjuraj is open to more expansion and possibilities, through ownership or possibly franchising.
“When you see a location like Ormond, you almost have to,” he said.
Renovations are underway at the 1900 Ocean Shore Blvd. location, including brick pavers outside, new walk-in coolers and a completely new kitchen.
“Everything will be new in the restaurant by the time we get done with it,” John Lulgjuraj said.
Staff from the Flagler Beach location are ready to help get the Ormond-by-the-Sea business started. Opening is anticipated in the late spring or early summer.
Operating hours will be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, same as the Flagler Beach location.
“We’re going to try to mimic everything at every Oceanside location,” John Lulgjuraj said.
Breakfast options include eggs, various omelets, corned beef hash, chicken fried steak, a breakfast burrito and eggs Southern Benedict.
Specialties of the house range from fish tacos to coconut shrimp to beer battered fish and chips.
Seafood options start with a fish of the day, shrimp ‘n’ grits and a trifecta of clams, mussels and shrimp.
There’s a blackened chicken Alfredo, grilled chicken, New York Strip and ribeye among other choices.
John Lulgjuraj said he and his brother have a saying, “Oceans of flavor. Oceans of fun. Something for everyone.”
Your comment has been submitted.
There was a problem reporting this.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Would you like to receive our daily news? Signup today!
Want to receive our paper at home? Subscribe to our Print Edition!
To advertise your business, call (386) 322-5900. Agencies | National | Regional: Call Kathy Young at (772) 467-4352.
Sign up for our free e-newsletter: Email newsdy@hometownnewsol.com to get started.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.