New restaurant hints at economic future of Riviera Beach oceanfront

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. - The economic tide may be turning for Riviera Beach's oceanfront district. There is a new addition that officially opened its doors on Sunday, setting the state for what local leaders will bring more development on Singer Island and surrounding areas.

The name of the new restaurant will certainly get some attention. It is called Two Drunken Goats Beach Cantina. The official ribbon-cutting was held Sunday afternoon. The eatery is opening in Singer Island's Ocean Mall, which was completed in 2009. The retail center has been slow to attract tenants to fill all the available spaces.

Local leaders hope the growth with be contagious, and even spread across the Intracoastal to Riviera Beach on the mainland. "The tourists were taking their money and going to other cities. Now they are staying here and investing here. And it's just great," said Dawn Pardo, a Riviera Beach City Council member  who represents District 4."

Two Drunken Goats is owned by the same man who owns Johnny Longboats, another restaurant in the same retail center. Owner Leonard Fortune hopes other businesspeople will takes steps to prove that businesses can be very successful in this part of the city. Just across from the new restaurant is Singer Island's Municipal Beach Park, which received a $4.3 Million facelift in the last few years. City officials say that hard work is just now beginning to pay off. They hope that it pays off citywide in the years ahead.