A new steakhouse is taking shape at 1488 Craig Ct in Wildwood, with owner Jack Suleiman targeting an opening toward the end of September. Luxe Steakhouse & Cellar has already put up its sign near Eastport, and the operator is promising prime steaks, fresh seafood, handcrafted cocktails, and what the venue calls an exceptional wine cellar, though the full menu is being kept private for now.
The opening timeline was confirmed directly with Suleiman, according to WhatNow, which reviewed plan review paperwork for the project and reported the restaurant as an elevated dining experience coming to Eastport. The publication's report describes tableside presentations and top-tier steaks as central to the concept, alongside fine wines meant to anchor the promised cellar. Those details line up with an earlier rollout: community developers and RGM Restaurants officially announced Luxe Steakhouse & Cellar in March, and Suleiman followed up in July with a video walkthrough showcasing interior construction progress, according to The Villages.
An Established Operator Expands His Footprint
Suleiman is far from a newcomer to the local dining scene. He has managed venues in The Villages for more than 15 years, and his company, RGM Restaurants, also runs Redsauce at Lake Sumter Landing, Glenview Country Club Restaurant and Mallory Hill Country Club Restaurant, per Villages-News. The new steakhouse is also set to serve as the official Country Club restaurant for the Woodlands Championship Golf Course in Eastport, giving it a built-in role as a 19th-hole destination for course patrons.
It's worth noting that RGM Restaurants operates independently from Suleiman Family Restaurants, a separate corporate entity run by other family members that owns venues including Prima Italian Steakhouse, Havana Country Club and Lopez Legacy, per Villages-News. The two companies share a family name but not a corporate structure, a distinction that matters given how many country club dining concepts each operates across the community.
Eastport's Steakhouse Rivalry Heats Up
Luxe will enter a market that already has upscale competition close by. Prime & Ember, a signature venue with a rooftop bar operated by FMK Hospitality Group, opened in Eastport in late 2025, according to Only Villages. Eastport itself is a 250-acre mixed-use development built around the 1,000-meter Central Lake, serving as The Villages' fifth and southernmost town square, per The Villages.
The district has grown quickly around its dining options. Eastport now integrates restaurants alongside major recreational facilities, including the Olympia Recreation Center, which opened in August 2025, and the 9-hole Bellaire Executive Golf Course, which opened in November 2025, according to Scout.
Growth Numbers Behind the Building Boom
The broader math behind Eastport's dining build-out traces back to population growth across The Villages metro area, which has expanded to more than 150,000 residents as of this year and consistently ranks among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country. That growth has coincided with a shifting workforce: moving industry data analyzed earlier this year found that ZIP code 34762 in The Villages ranked second nationwide among top destination ZIP codes for Gen Z relocations in 2025, driven by expanding job opportunities in local commercial, medical and hospitality hubs, as Hoodline previously reported.
That younger labor pool exists within a regulatory framework unique to the community. Federal and Florida fair housing statutes, specifically Florida Statute 760.29, require at least 80% of occupied units in 55-and-older age-restricted developments like The Villages to include a resident aged 55 or older, while permitting younger adult workers to reside in the area under specific rules. It's the kind of demographic and legal backdrop that helps explain why multi-concept hospitality groups like RGM Restaurants keep adding new dining rooms to a retirement community that keeps adding new residents and new workers alike.
