'TESTING THE WATERS' Winding road puts Cuvee Beach back on the market

Barely a month after owner Joseph Marcello decided to close Destin’s Cuvee Beach until spring, he’s “testing the waters” on whether selling would be a better option, General Manager Ernie Danjean says.

Danjean told The Log this week that the test will be if anyone’s interested at Marcello’s asking price — $2.1 million — and that if nobody makes a good offer, Marcello expects to reopen the restaurant early next year as planned.

“No one could have anticipated the market changes in the past three years,” Danjean said. “He’s exploring to see if there’s someone who’d be a little bit more passionate about wanting to come in and make this happen.”

Cuvée Beach opened in 2000 with an extensive wine cellar and a strong emphasis on seafood that won the restaurant several accolades. Wine Spectator gave Cuvée Beach an Award of Excellence; Emerald Coast Magazine readers selected it for Best Food and Beverage; Florida Trend picked it as one of the 400 best places to dine.

In 2008, the owners put the restaurant and all its contents up for auction. Marcello and his partner S. Joseph Segreto bought the restaurant for $1.575 million — $1.732 million, Danjean said, when you add the auctioneer’s fees.

When Cuvee Beach closed for the winter last year, rumors flew that the closing was permanent. The restaurant reopened, however, but the same stories circulated when it closed again in November 2009. Danjean told The Log a month ago that while summer had been good, they were anticipating an empty dining room during the winter, so it made more sense to cut costs by a temporary closing.

Danjean said Marcello made his decision based on the economy, and the challenge of running Cuvee Beach when most of his business interests are in New Orleans. Danjean said the $2.1 million will cover everything: The land, the building, the equipment, the wine cellar, the furnishings. He said the restaurant would hold its value.

“We’re excited he’s proceeding forward,” Danjean said of the Cuvee employees. “We hope whoever buys it might be interested in the staff and possibly offer us jobs at that time. That’s our hope, but in the business world, you have to keep moving forward.”

Want to buy?
You can contact Danjean at (850) 368-5670.