The highly anticipated White Pelican Club is officially back on track to bring a new level of refined dining and socializing to the Vero Beach barrier island. After a temporary delay, the private dining and drinking establishment has resumed renovations at its Pelican Plaza location, formerly home to the popular Vinz wine bar. With construction moving forward, the ownership group is actively drumming up local excitement through a series of exclusive pop-up events aimed at securing its founding membership base.
The project initially hit a roadblock late last summer when neighboring retail tenants raised concerns about construction activity. This prompted inspections from both the City of Vero Beach and Indian River County, which revealed that the required business and construction permits had not been fully secured. As a result, stop-work notices were posted on the premises in September. However, the management group has successfully navigated and resolved all permitting requirements with local authorities. The stop-work orders have been removed, and investors have maintained their commitment by keeping key staff employed and staying current on their lease payments.
Securing the lease in April 2025, the White Pelican Club group not only acquired the former wine bar’s impressive collection but also expanded its footprint. By leasing the adjacent storefront to create a dedicated cigar bar, the club now boasts a combined 1,500-square-foot indoor facility that seamlessly transitions into an elegant, covered outdoor patio space.
Currently, the club is pushing to reach its initial cap of 100 founding members. Those looking to join this exclusive community are subject to specific fee structures:
- Couples: A $2,000 initiation fee accompanied by $3,500 in annual dues.
- Individuals: A $1,000 initiation fee with $2,500 in annual dues.
Membership is expected to become more exclusive once this founding tier is filled by the end of April, with initiation fees and annual dues slated to increase for subsequent social memberships.
To generate momentum, the club’s promoters are hosting intimate, invitation-only pop-up gatherings. These events offer prospective members a firsthand taste of the culinary and social experience the club promises to deliver. Recently, founding members Bill and Julia Olson opened their home in Indian River Shores to host one such gathering for approximately 40 to 50 guests. The event featured catering by the White Pelican chefs, providing a perfect setting for residents to connect and preview the hospitality venture.
We live in a beautiful community, but the people are what make it special, and we learned from the Covid era how unbelievably boring life is when you can’t get together socially with people.
Rick Engel, a member of the ownership group and its current spokesman, brings three decades of hospitality experience from Austin, Texas, to the Vero Beach venture. Engel emphasizes that the club will stand apart from traditional local private clubs by prioritizing curation over scale. The establishment aims to revive the golden age of social grace, placing a heavy focus on culinary integrity utilizing fresh, additive-free ingredients.
While an exact opening date remains pending due to final design refinements, the vision for the White Pelican Club is expansive. Future plans include curated wine storage, guest chef appearances, collaborative dinners, musical entertainment, and philanthropic events, ensuring that the establishment will remain a dynamic and sophisticated fixture in the local social scene.
