Two pasta dishes that may be featured on the moon by malio’s menu: Caviar Tagliolini and Langoustine Fra Diavolo | Moon by malio’s

A fine dining restaurant focused on wild-caught seafood will take over a prized location in St. Pete Beach's Pass-a-Grille.

Moon by Malio's will open at 109 8th Avenue on the ground floor of the boutique Berkeley Beach Club hotel.

The space was formerly home to The Dewey, which suffered damage from the back-to-back hurricanes in 2024 and never reopened.

Moon by Malio's owners Derek and Jen Iavarone describe their newest concept as the "playful little sister" of their other two restaurants, Malio's Prime Steakhouse in downtown Tampa and Malio's Beach House on St. Pete Beach.

Their newest restaurant is expected to open in September.

Moon by Malio's will occupy roughly 4,000 square feet of the Berkeley Beach Club across its dining room, patio, and rooftop, seating about 200 guests total.

While the Iavarones run two successful steakhouses, their newest venture is a personal homage to their family and its dinnertime traditions.

“The restaurant is primarily named after our daughter, since Moon is her middle name,” Jen says in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “It was inspired by the full moon that rises over our backyard every month. These are moments that bring us all together, when we can slow down and just appreciate where we live.”

Unlike Malio's Beach House, Moon by Malio's will offer lunch service, a daily happy hour for both food and drinks, and an exclusive brunch menu every Saturday.

Moon by malio’s owners Derek and Jen Iavarone on a recent vacation in italy | jen iavarone

For lunch, the restaurant will offer a more casual selection of burgers, grouper sandwiches, and soft-shell crab po'boys, while the dinner menu will feature elevated entrées centered around wild-caught seafood, hearty pastas, charcuterie boards, and seafood towers.

The beverage program will highlight a variety of European wines, as well as craft cocktails inspired by the Mediterranean coastline.

Since the entire concept pays homage to the Iavarone family's traditions, the menu will also reflect the Italian and Spanish recipes passed down through generations.

"With our steakhouses, everything's a little more set in stone. But this restaurant will allow us to be a bit more fun and creative," Derek says. "It's our family's interpretation of coastal fine dining, but with the same kind of hospitality and level of service that all Malio's brands carry."

Derek's father, Malio, opened the original Malio's Steak House in South Tampa in 1969; Derek opened Malio's Prime Steakhouse in 2007.

The family's recent expansion into Pinellas County marks both the continuation of his father's legacy and the celebration of his own family and the new traditions they're creating as residents of St. Pete Beach.

Last summer, the Berkeley Beach Club was sold to new owners Helen and Dave Feinberg.

While the hotel reopened after the 2024 hurricanes, its restaurant, The Dewey, never recovered after taking on several feet of floodwater. After purchasing the hotel, the Feinbergs completely renovated the restaurant space, creating a fresh slate for the Iavarones' newest concept.

The Iavarones plan to host full moon parties on the hotel’s rooftop each month | Berkeley beach club

"Dave and Helen did a really good job renovating — they put the structure of the restaurant back together after the hurricane," Jen says. "They haven't had anybody in there since, so we're already off to a good start."

Jen, who has a background in fashion and design, describes Moon by Malio's ambiance as textural, colorful, quirky, and filled with natural sunlight.

Moon-inspired touches will appear throughout the space, and the restaurant may host full moon parties on its rooftop to bring the theme to life.

"We want everyone to know that we are residents of St. Pete Beach, and we have been working diligently, like everyone else, to get back to the new normal after Helene and Milton," the Iavarones explain. "It's been our number one priority to always try to give back to the community and help beautify the area."

"We've always wanted a place in Pass-a-Grille; it's been a dream of ours for several years now," Jen adds.

After its fall debut, Moon by Malio's will be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. All Malio's locations are closed on Sundays to give the Iavarones and their employees time with their families.

Follow the new restaurant on Instagram to stay up to date on a grand opening date and the latest menu offerings.