New Tenants for San Marco Theatre
The show will go on at the San Marco Theatre, albeit in spirit only, as the interior will soon transform into a restaurant and home décor store.
In August, a pair of new tenants announced their plans to move into the old San Marco Theatre. Restauranteur Al Mansur, known for several restaurant concepts including Al’s Pizza, Mezza Luna Ristorante, the Flying Iguana and Coop 303, will transform part of the former theater into a new Flying Iguana Taqueria and Tequila Bar location while Missy Riley will convert the remaining space into a new storefront for Missy Riley Arts & Pieces.
The Iguana lands in San Marco
Al Mansur has tried to bring his Iguana concept to San Marco before. In 2016, The Resident News reported that plans ultimately fell through for him to move into the space where Fore Score Golf Tavern currently stands. When the opportunity to move into the old theater arose, Mansur said he knew the Flying Iguana would be “the right fit.”
“After touring the space, I just fell in love with the building and the space. I just wanted to do something cool. It’ll be a fun and vibrant and cool space to do a restaurant with eclectic tacos and margaritas.”
With nearly 5,000 square feet to work with, Mansur said his new restaurant will accommodate 150 seats and will include a small mezzanine area in the space that once housed the projector room on the theatre’s second level.
Mansur added that the building’s iconic marquee and box office will “absolutely” be preserved.
“The presence of the theatre is what I love and that’s what I want to keep, the look,” he said. “So, the art deco look on the outside, the marquee, everything will stay. We’ll freshen it up, but it won’t change.”
He added he’s looking forward to being part of the San Marco community alongside “great additional local restauranteurs.”
Mansur expects the Flying Iguana to open in the first quarter of 2024.
Décor next door
The remaining space in the old San Marco Theatre will be leased to a small business owner who is already part of the San Marco community. Missy Riley, owner of Missy Riley Arts & Pieces, will be relocating from her current storefront to the former theatre just as soon as the buildout of the new space is complete.
She will remain at her current location a few doors down on San Marco Boulevard until after the holidays.
This move is a “great” opportunity for her, she said, as it will place her business next door to Stellers Gallery, owned by her husband, Scott Riley.
“For the gallery and my store to be sandwiched in between Taverna, Oceana and Iguana, I think it just really will bring some opportunity for us to have later hours and do some open houses and gallery exhibitions, things like that,” Riley said.
Riley’s new storefront in the old theatre will be roughly 2,000 square feet. She added that should her new location be ready prior to the holidays, and both San Marco storefronts will be open.
Riley has another location in Avondale, located at 3566 Saint Johns Ave.
By Michele Leivas
Resident Community News
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