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A Family Affair Old School Hospitality Celebrates 30 Years of Quarterdeck Seafood Bar and Neighborhood Grill Words by Maureen Aimee Mariano Three decades in the restaurant business is a milestone not many owners can say they've reached. But for the team at Old School Hospitalit y, they've done just that with the celebration of their flagship Quar terdeck Seafood Bar and Neighborhood Grill's 30th anniversary. Since opening its doors back in October of 1986 on Cordova Road in Fort Lauderdale, Quarterdeck has become a neighborhood staple, amassing a loyal following of patrons over the years, and has even expanded to several locations in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami- Dade Counties. Some recipes – like Quarterdeck's legendary ribs and dolphin reuben – may be a secret, but Quarterdeck's draw is evident: It's a place that highlights delicious food and drinks at affordable prices; a place that celebrates family, friends, and a strong sense of community. It's a place that provides exceptional service all year round, and, not to mention, the gorgeous surrounding beach views are unlike any other. To celebrate this milestone, Old School Hospitality co-owner Paul Flanigan – whose uncle is Joe "Big Daddy" Flanigan, founder of Florida's beloved chain of Flanigan's Seafood Bar and Grill – extended the old-school hospitality beyond his restaurant and into his lovely Fort Lauderdale estate for an intimate cocktail celebration with family, friends, and select media. Quarterdeck's famous ribs, French fries, a fine selection of sushi rolls and wine flowed freely throughout the evening as Old School Hospitality members mixed and mingled with guests before sharing what the future had in store for the trailblazing group. Welcoming 30 years of success may lead establishments to stick to the same old dishes and the same old order of business, because, after all, as the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But Old School Hospitality – comprised of Paul and his partners Frank Zaffere, Joe Zebrowski, Chang "Sushi Mike" Jin, and Paul's son, James Flanigan – continues to fix, improve and advance, further cementing their mark in the restaurant industry. Paul took after Big Daddy's entrepreneurial spirit and has been following the same advice for years. "The three most important things that I learned from my uncle is this: Buy real estate, stay local and be different," he says. As a result, in addition to their line of Old School Hospitality restaurants including Beach Bar at Newport Pier in Sunny Isles Beach, Lobby Bar inside the Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort, and the Dive Bar Restaurant in Jupiter, Paul announced the group's newest ventures: Good Spirits, an upscale restaurant with Mad Men vibes featuring modern American cuisine, slated to open in 2017 in Flagler Village in Fort Lauderdale, as well as Side Bar, an old-fashioned cocktail lounge, slated to open in 2018. Furthermore, Old School Hospitality has decided to move its long-standing Quarterdeck location on Cordova Road to 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale in 2017. Adjacent to the future Side Bar establishment, the new Quarterdeck venue will be much larger in size but will serve the same tasty menu and offer the same quality service that Quarterdeck has long been known for. As time moves forward, hurricanes come and go -- with Quarterdeck surviving five of them -- and as Old School Hospitality's portfolio continues to grow with fresh, innovative concepts, the core values will always remain. "At the basis of Old School Hospitality is family," says Paul. "It begins and ends with family." ML