As the local dining scene continues to evolve in the Sunshine State, we are inevitably thrilled to say hello to new restaurants and disheartened to say goodbye to old favorites.

Throughout the month, while some restaurants closed their doors, others serving new and unique offerings from deep-fried favorites and sauce-smothered bites to sweet treats and so much more have opened here in the Daytona Beach area, keeping our stomachs full, spirits high and community thriving.

While we sadly say our goodbyes to some, we also welcome a plethora of quickly growing, go-to spots. So, if you’re looking to stop in somewhere new for breakfast, lunch or dinner, check out the latest restaurants and cafés that have opened in Volusia-Flagler during the month of March.

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Volusia-Flagler restaurants that opened in March

Beachside Pizza

3318 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach; 386-423-5060, beachside-pizza.com

Beachside Pizza soft-opened last month with plans for a grand opening this week in New Smyrna Beach. The family-owned eatery, which replaces what was formerly Manny’s Pizza Beachside, is home to years of irreplaceable memories for former employees, now owners, Jamie and Martin Ponti.

With the help of their business partners and close friends, Stephen Viel and Bridget Highet, as well as trusted input from previous owner Kenny Haggard, the couple hopes to restore the eatery to its decades-old roots, serving a full menu of all original recipes, dating back over 30 years — including homemade pizza, Greek salad and more to come. Beachside Pizza plans to host its grand opening on April 4.

Black Butterfly

1859 State Road 44, New Smyrna Beach; 386-478-8998, blackbutterflynsb.com

Black Butterfly opened shop in New Smyrna Beach last month. The self-described “whimsical place” offers a full coffee bar as well as “late night bites and cool cocktails.”

The enchanting new scratch kitchen café offers a range of beverages including espresso, frappes, smoothies, wine, craft cocktails and mocktails. It’s morning menu features fresh pastries, sandwiches and waffles, while its evening menu showcases shareable dishes, like beef sliders, crostinis, shrimp boats, pizza, desserts and more.

Bliss Beach

3218 S. Atlantic Ave., Suite 1, Daytona Beach Shores; 386-317-0480, blissbeachdaytona.com

This “upscale casual beachside café” opened its doors last month in Daytona Beach Shores, offering customers a laid-back atmosphere to enjoy a morning coffee or afternoon bite with friends, whether ordering online and picking up or dining in.

The local eatery offers a vast and varied menu including “croffles” — croissants cooked in the manner of a waffle —pizzas, wings, salads and ice cream. Bliss Beach also serves coffee beverages, like lattes, cappuccinos, mochas and cold brew, as well as smoothies, Lotus energy drinks, juices and teas.

Café Verde

301b Flagler Ave., New Smyrna Beach; 386-957-3958, cafeverdensb.com.

Café Verde reopened its doors in New Smyrna Beach last month after being temporarily closed for renovations for the last five months. “We are back with all your favorites! After five months of remodeling, we are excited to open our doors again! Refreshed and renewed, we look forward to seeing you in our new space!” the eatery noted in a recent Facebook post.

The eatery’s “food without borders” menu offers an array of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, with fresh and savory homemade selections from all around the world — not to mention a plethora of craft cocktails, beer and wine. Options include empanadas, salads, tacos, pasta, seafood and gyros, among other items.

Caffe Paradiso

115 Flagler Ave., New Smyrna Beach; 386-427-7475, caffeparadisonsb.com

Caffé Paradiso, formerly Café Heavenly, opened its doors at the start of March. Co-owner Gary Langevin, who also co-owns New Smyrna Beach’s Limoncello South and Ciao Bella Italian Restaurant, Pizzeria and Martini Bar, re-opened the café last month after six weeks of renovations and rebranding.

The Flagler Avenue gem still offers its same beloved selection of Lobster rolls, lobster bisque and clam chowder, alongside a variety of new homemade additions — including the gelato, breakfast sandwiches, paninis and wood-fired pizzas. The eatery also offers Italian imported grab-and-go desserts and coffee drinks, as well as beer and wine.

Debra Jean's

5927 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Palm Coast; 386-264-6421, debrajeansfl.com 

This Palm Coast coffee shop opened its doors last month in the Hammock. The local shop was started by a brother and sister duo and named after their late mother Debra Jean, hoping to provide guests with a “warm, loving environment that is beautiful, vintage and eclectic,” according to its website.

The siblings also previously started the Hammock Coffee Company and continue to ship their roasted beans straight to customer’s doors as well as offering them for pickup at the café. Debra Jean’s serves certified kosher and vegan bagels flown in from New York — with vegan cream cheese options available — as well as oatmeal, egg bites, quiche, muffins, ice cream and cakes. Beverages offered include herbal teas, tea lattes, cappuccinos, cortados, espresso and more.

Full Sabor

4989 S. Ridgewood Ave., Port Orange; 386-301-5604, facebook.com.

Full Sabor opened its doors in Port Orange last month. The casual Venezuelan restaurant offers an authentic menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner plates as well as milkshakes, smoothies, coffee, beer and wine.

The eatery’s menu includes grilled beef, chicken or “full mix” pepitos — a sandwich dish and popular Venezuelan street food, layered with lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon and cheese, among other ingredients; the churrasco —grilled meat, Pico de Gallo, chimichurri sauce and fries; the Full Sabor hot dog — Polish sausage, onion, bacon, cheese, ham and special sauce; hamburgers; empanadas and more.

Fusion 386 Dining at the Island

1224 S. Ocean Shore Blvd., Flagler Beach; 386-693-4966, theislandgrille.com

Fusion 386 Dining at the Island opened in late March at the former location of the Island Grille in Flagler Beach. The upscale eatery, an expansion of 386 at the Hammock, offers a full bar and plethora of majority seafood plates. The restaurant recommends reservations, which can be made online or by calling the restaurant.

The restaurant’s menu includes appetizers like the royal red shrimp cocktail, conch fritters and sautéed middle neck clams, as well as entrees like the grouper puttanesca, lump crab-encrusted flounder, tomahawk pork chop with peach chutney and New Zealand lamp chops with homemade mashed potatoes.

Rise at the Island will soft open for breakfast and brunch at the same location from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. April 5-7.

LoFreso’s 386 Italian Fusion

5949 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Palm Coast; 386-246-0070, threeeightsix.com

LoFreso’s 386 Italian Fusion, located at the original 386 location in the Hammock, has been revamped and reopened, showcasing the "same great food," now with a new Italian flair. The eatery, which soft-opened just several days ago in Palm Coast, will feature a full menu of homemade Italian cuisine, drinks and desserts. According to the restaurant’s website, it will include an array of chicken, seafood, pasta and steak dishes. Reservations are recommended and can be made online or by calling the restaurant.

Mexico City Street Food and Bar

855 Mason Ave., Daytona Beach; 386-236-9126, mexicocitystreetfoodandbar.com

Mexico City Street Food and Bar soft-opened in the final weeks of March. The Daytona Beach eatery was inspired by the flavors, culture and arts that fill the streets of Mexico’s capital city, hoping to serve customers a homemade variety of elevated, street food-inspired dishes.

The scratch kitchen eatery boasts an expansive menu of burritos, tacos, enchiladas, vegetarian, vegan, steak and seafood dishes with customizable spice levels, as well as homemade ice cream, a bakery of freshly prepared desserts — coming soon — and a full bar with happy hour specials from 3 – 7 p.m. Monday – Friday.

Parvathy’s Kitchen

105 Artisan Alley, DeLand; 407-668-3705, facebook.com/parvathyskitchen

This food truck-turned-brick-and-mortar eatery opened its doors in downtown DeLand’s Artisan Alley last month. For owner Rachael Paltrow and her family, the south Indian-influenced takeout restaurant has been a long-requested venture — one that opens the door to greater culinary freedom, production and connection to the community they know so well, without the commitment a full-service restaurant demands.

Parvathy’s Kitchen offers a layered menu of homemade Indian cuisine that customers have known and loved for nearly a decade, ranging from samosa and chicken tikka masala to Bunny Chow, Shan’s lamb curry and naan bread, among other items.

Sazon de Peru

9 Palm Harbor Village Way W., Palm Coast; 386-585-4343, Facebook.com.

This casual new Peruvian restaurant, the first of its kind in the area, opened its doors in Palm Coast in early March. The new eatery offers an array of authentic breakfast, lunch and dinner plates with beef, chicken, seafood and vegetarian options available.

Sazon de Peru’s menu includes chaufas — fried rice dishes mixed with chicken, beef or seafood; Jalea — a mixture of fish, mussels, calamari, octopus and shrimp, battered and fried; and the tallarin verde con bistec — grilled steak served with Peruvian pesto spaghetti and topped with fried potatoes. The eatery also serves a variety of Peruvian beverages, espresso, tea and sodas.

Sweet Tea Café

228 W. Howry Ave., DeLand; 954-401-6034, sweetteacafedeland.com

Sweet Tea Café opened shop in historic downtown DeLand last month after relocating from Holly Hill. The local café, a cozy new spot for “seasoned tea drinkers” and newbies alike, welcomes private events such as baby showers, birthday parties, book clubs and more and offers guests an array of teas — like the French vanilla black tea, green tea and raspberry and chamomile tea — as well as sweet and savory finger foods. The café offers both weekday and weekend tea sittings. Reservations can be made online or by calling the café.

Volusia-Flagler restaurants that closed in March

Alberto’s NSB

Alberto’s NSB, located at 1851 State Road 44, informed customers on social media last month that it would be closing its doors for good, after facing a number of increasing challenges.

“The last year has been extremely tough on small businesses, especially new small businesses,” the Facebook post read.

“Product pricing, insurance and the difficulty of finding good help has weighed heavily on us and many other family owned and operated restaurants in our area. We understand fully the impact of our economy has made it very hard for families to eat out as often as they were accustomed to in the previous years.”

The family-owned eatery opened shop less than three years ago in 2021, and was known for its rich menu of sandwiches, subs, pasta, pizza and more.

Blues and Brews Bistro

Blues and Brews Bistro, one of Ormond Beach’s most beloved new restaurants known for its internationally inspired cuisine, live entertainment and rooftop dining, announced its closure on social media last month. The something-for-everyone-style restaurant, previously located at 790 S. Atlantic Ave., Ormond Beach, noted in a Facebook post that it would be moving and re-opening soon at a brand-new location.

“Update - we have looked at over a dozen locations. However, so far all have either been too small, too expensive, or would take too long to remodel,” the Facebook post read.

“The Search Continues! We are still optimistic we will find something and be back up and running in early May. Thank you everyone for your continued support!”

Chicken Pantry

After 68 years in business, The Chicken Pantry closed its doors last month in Bunnell. The 602 E. Moody Blvd. shop’s closure was announced via a social media post put out by Flagler Restaurants, an online restaurant directory for the Flagler Beach, Palm Coast area.

The 1956-born eatery had undergone a variety of location and ownership changes throughout the years, and had most recently been forced to temporarily close following a failed health inspection. An auction of the eatery’s décor and equipment was held online following the announcement of its closure in March.

La Familia Latin Cuisine

La Familia Latin Cuisine Restaurant, located at 2120 S. Ridgewood Ave., unit 8, in Edgewater, announced on social media that it would be making the difficult decision to close the restaurant.

“Like many long standing and reputable restaurants recently, this decision comes from many factors,” the Facebook post began. “Failed partnerships, rising costs, strict rules prohibiting proper advertising of our location are just a few to mention.”

After the closing its doors “as a family” last weekend, La Familia Latin Cuisine’s March 30 Facebook post went on to commemorate the success found, relationships fostered and memories made over the last year.

“There was NO FAILURE HERE, everyone who has been a part of La Familia ... whether we coexist still Or not ... has been part of history … in that we brought something to Edgewater that has never been done and we did it impeccably and with love and compassion, class and respect."

Pappas Drive In & Family Restaurant

Pappas Drive In & Family Restaurant, a New Smyrna Beach staple for nearly 55 years, was destroyed in a devastating overnight fire last month.

New Smyrna Beach Fire Chief Shawn VanDemark previously told The News-Journal, “We found the majority of the fire toward the rear attic space. The age of the building and the construction type of the building make it more difficult to access the void space to put (the fire) out.” There were no injuries reported.

As The News-Journal previously noted, Vic Ganoe, owner of the 1103 N. Dixie Freeway restaurant, alongside previous owner and founder Chris Pappas, plan to rebuild the historic restaurant in the same location in the future. A GoFundMe account was also created to help employees, now suddenly out of work, through the difficult time.

Did we miss any? Email [email protected] to be added to the list.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 13 new restaurants opened in Daytona, Flagler. How many closed?