Café-Boutique PIANO, a restaurant that will feature European cuisine and nightly piano shows, is coming soon to Winter Park’s Hannibal Square in the 1,200-square-foot space previously occupied by Dexter’s of Winter Park. The family-run restaurant is owned by Andrei and Larisa Makhaev and will feature an antique, one-of-a-kind piano with a hired musician to play live music for guests.
Polina Kaz, director of operations and the daughter of the Café-Boutique PIANO owners, says the idea for the restaurant originated while her father, who has worked in the hospitality industry in Europe for three decades, was opening his first restaurant in Western Russia. However, it took several years for Café-Boutique Piano to come to fruition, and the owners to find the perfect location for their first U.S. restaurant.
“We looked at multiple locations in Winter Park, Winter Garden, Celebration, and decided that Hannibal Square would be the best option for our restaurant concept,” Kaz said. “We used to live in Europe, and downtown Winter Park has some old European atmosphere.”
Larisa Makhaev is a designer and artist and will be working on the interior of the restaurant to create a unique, intimate environment. The space will also showcase her original art that will be available for purchase. According to Kaz, Café-Boutique PIANO is no “typical” restaurant and will embody the European meaning of ‘boutique,’ which is something very personal, unique, tiny, and cozy.
“Now we are finally opening up a brand-new [restaurant] in Winter Park,” Kaz said. “We will serve European cuisine, delicious coffee, and a few unique desserts. We don’t think that Café-Boutique PIANO should be associated with just one specific cuisine — it is a mix of all types of European cuisines, and that’s why our motto is ‘From the East to the West’.”
Foundry Commercial‘s Brett Hartung and Jill Gull represented the landlord, Orc Hannibal Square II LLC, in the deal, and founder of Orlando-based Site Commercial, Tom Schmidt, represented the tenant.
