The former Bru’s Room Bar & Grill location in Coral Springs has been purchased by the owners of an upscale restaurant chain based in South Florida.
That chain — Kaluz Restaurants — currently operates in Fort Lauderdale, Plantation and Wellington.
And while the site’s former owner, Benedict Fillichio, said in February that a “very good restaurant chain” would open in Bru’s Room’s place, an officer of the company that purchased the site, contacted by text, said they have no plans to open anything on it “as of yet.”
Alina Demirdjian, identified by the Florida Division of Corporations as manager of Lori Springs LLC, which was formed in early February with Bru’s Room’s former location of 1000 N. University Drive as its principal address, responded to a voice mail and text message on Monday morning.
“We have purchased this property as an investment and we do not have plans to build anything as of yet,” Demirdjian said in a text.
Dermidjian said there are no plans to demolish the building, despite statements by an auction company as it liquidated all of Bru’s Room’s fixtures and furnishings in February.
On Monday, the building remained unchanged from when it was closed during the last weekend of February, with the Bru’s Room exterior signage intact, roll-down shutters covering the outdoor seating area, and plywood protecting the building’s windows.
No construction or demolition permits have been opened with the city of Coral Springs, according to the permitting department’s website.
Nor does the property appear for sale or lease on popular websites that advertise commercial real estate.
Bru’s Rooms, founded by former Miami Dolphins player Robert “Bob” Brudzinski, are still open in Coconut Creek, Pembroke Pines and Boynton Beach, phone calls confirmed on Monday.
A Bru’s Room also operates under separate ownership on South Federal Highway in Pompano Beach.
Asked whether the owners changed their minds about locating a Kaluz Restaurant at the site since purchasing the building in February, Demirdjian responded, “As I mentioned, we have no active development plans.”
The Broward County Public Records website shows that the transaction was finalized on Feb. 28. Fillichio, as manager of B&B Properties-University Drive LLC, transferred the 86,814-square-foot parcel to Lori Springs LLC, based at 3300 E. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, for $5.15 million.
David Baldwin is identified as Lori Springs’ registered agent. Baldwin is listed as registered agent of two other companies, Kalik LLC and Tavush Plantation LLC, that also identify Demirdjian as manager.
Tavush Plantation LLC’s principal address is 100 N. University Drive, Plantation, and Kalik LLC’s principal address is 3300 E. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale.
Baldwin is listed as manager of Arka Grill Company West LLC, with a principal address of 2025 Wellington Green Drive, Wellington.
Kaluz Restaurant’s website lists the three addresses as the chain’s Fort Lauderdale, Plantation and Wellington locations.
If a Kaluz Restaurant eventually were to come to the site, it would cater to consumers seeking offerings that are more refined, and more expensive, than Bru’s Room’s, based on the menu displayed on Kaluz’s website.
Entree prices range from $26 for Maple Leaf Duck Confit to $62 for a 20-ounce Bone-In Ribeye with peppercorn steak sauce and loaded baked potato.
Other selections include Bar Harbor Crabcakes, $45, and Hatfield Farm Pork Chops, $32, and Scallops Pomegranate, $45.
An eight-ounce “Classic Cheeseburger” with choice of fries or cole slaw sells for $19 while a Colorado Lamb Burger made with a lamb and beef blend, sun-dried tomato aioli, arugula, goat cheese and caramelized onion is $20.
Coral Springs’ permitting search site shows that the location at 1000 N. University Drive was occupied in 1994 by Red Robin, a fast-casual burger restaurant, and Chevy’s, a TexMex restaurant, beginning in 1998.
In addition to closing the Coral Springs restaurant, Bru’s Room’s owner recently shut down longtime locations in Deerfield Beach and Delray Beach.
The Delray Beach site is owned by Delray Trio LLC while the Deerfield Beach location is owned by two Washington D.C. investors, Elizabeth Barker and Jean Barber.
Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.