TITUSVILLE, Fla. – Community is important to the Hoffman family, and that love of community is one of the things that prompted them to open a restaurant in the historic heart of Titusville, their hometown.
Located in a century-old former furniture store, Hoffman’s Table is a true family business, according to News 6 partners Florida Today. Scott Hoffman helms the kitchen, turning out flavorful comfort food, like wild-caught shrimp served over yellow Gruyere grits, to-die-for prime rib, and meatloaf stuffed with mozzarella cheese.
Recommended Videos
Nancy Hoffman works the dining room, greeting guests and handling the business end of the restaurant. Son Aaron is there, too, working the dining room, in the kitchen, wherever he’s needed. He grew up in restaurants, his mother said, and that’s where he plans to stay.
[ADD YOUR BUSINESS TO THE FLORIDA FOODIE DIRECTORY]
Hoffman’s Table is warm and inviting, with heavy wooden tables, concrete floors, and the original tin ceiling.
“We didn’t touch that ceiling,” Nancy Hoffman said as she looked around the rustically charming dining room.
The space is big, but not too big, with seating for 75. Two large round tables in the front bay windows offer views of the activity along Washington Avenue. Padded pews provide some of the seating. Large-scale black-and-white photos of local nature scenes, courtesy of Jeff and Heidi Thamert at Downtown Gallery, hang from the walls.
The restaurant is only a few weeks old, but like the building they chose for this venture, the Hoffmans, have a long history in Titusville kitchens and dining rooms.
Nancy and Scott both grew up in Titusville. In the 1980s, she was general manager and Scott was Kitchen manager at Lorenzo’s Italian Restaurant.
“We’ve been in the restaurant business in this town a little over 40 years,” Nancy said.
[TRENDING: Tropical wave could bring rain to Fla. | Roommate fight leaves 1 dead, 2 hurt | Become a News 6 Insider]
The restaurant is only a few weeks old, but like the building they chose for this venture, the Hoffmans, have a long history in Titusville kitchens and dining rooms.
Nancy and Scott both grew up in Titusville. In the 1980s, she was general manager and Scott was Kitchen manager at Lorenzo’s Italian Restaurant.
“We’ve been in the restaurant business in this town a little over 40 years,” Nancy said.
Meanwhile, Nancy was honing her business skills working at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and Ronny’s Restaurant. She earned a business management degree from the University of Central Florida.
At that point, the couple faced a decision: Stay in Orlando or move back to Titusville.
They opted for home.
Nancy took a job at NASA, and Scott bought the Coffee Shoppe at the corner of Broad Street and U.S. 1. He prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner there for 22 years. After closing the Coffee Shoppe about six years ago, he began working at Playalinda Brewing Company — Hardware Store.
Aaron, too, devoted himself to the restaurants, working in every area of the business. Most recently, he spent six years at Shiloh’s Steak & Seafood.
After Nancy retired from NASA, the downtown space became available. The family decided the timing was right to open Hoffman’s Table.
“We grew up in the restaurant business,” Nancy said, “so it was not a hard choice to try it again. This time, it was ours from the beginning.”
The idea was to give Titusville diners an upscale-casual atmosphere for lunch and dinner. The menu is small for now. Nancy said they want to offer a few well-practiced items until everyone is more familiar with the new kitchen and restaurant procedures. All the sauces, soups and dressings are prepared fresh, in-house.
The Hoffman’s hope their restaurant adds another spark to the growing bustle of the downtown area. The coffee they serve comes from nearby Pier 13 Coffee Co. Bread is made down the street at the Daley Trade. Hoffman’s serves beer from Titusville’s Playalinda Brewing Co.
It’s easy to make a night of it, with dinner at Hoffman’s, a show at the Titusville Playhouse, ice cream the Mad Utter. If there’s a wait for a table, the Hoffman’s hostess will take a number to send a text when it’s ready, and diners walk down to OhVino wine bar for a glass of wine or to Playalinda’s Hardware Store for a pint of beer.
“Community is very important to us,” Nancy said. “That’s why we’re in downtown.”
So far, the community has returned the love. Weekends have been busy. Lunch service will be added soon.
“We’ve always been grateful we came back home,” she said.
Hoffman’s Table is at 311 S. Washington Ave., Titusville. Hours are 3-9 p.m. Wednesday-Monday. Lunch hours coming soon. Call 321-423-0404 or visit hoffmanstable.com.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below:
Use the form below to sign up for the ClickOrlando.com Florida Foodie newsletter, sent every other Wednesday.