The famous New York City restaurants that opened in Miami, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, are reaping the benefits of lesser restrictions, with businesses that are ‘growing’ and overflowing with customers and reservations.
While the once thriving New York hospitality scene has been largely hampered by the state’s strict COVID-19 measures, some restaurant owners say Miami has opened up new opportunities to expand and survive in the midst of the pandemic.
The high-quality sushi chain Kissaki in New York is among the most recent to open in Miami, with restaurant owner and owner Garry Kafner preparing to open two new locations this year.
Favorite celebrities, such as Carbone, Cote and Sant Ambroeus, have already settled in Miami. Brooklyn’s popular pizzeria, Roberta’s, and Harlem’s Red Rooster restaurant, also opened recently.
These restaurants are not experiencing a shortage of customers with Carbone, in particular, already having a three-month waiting list after opening last month.
It’s almost impossible to get a reservation at the Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse Cote, and those who do are limited to 60 minutes to keep people coming and going.
The famous New York City restaurants that opened in Miami, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, are reaping the benefits of lesser restrictions, with businesses that are ‘growing’. Carbone, in particular, already has a three-month waiting list after opening just last month
Felix Bendersky (above), the owner of F + B Hospitality Leasing, told DailyMail.com that the business is ‘booming’ in Miami and that restaurants continue to flee New York City
Felix Bendersky, the owner of F + B Hospitality Leasing, told DailyMail.com that the business is ‘booming’ in Miami and that restaurants continue to flee New York City.
“I would probably say that there are about 150 groups in the last 60 days that came to us looking for a restaurant,” he said.
‘Some who abandoned their New York projects to come here. They discover that when New York returns, they can go further in Miami.
– I think it was kind of crazy.
Bendersky said the stricter restrictions on the hospitality industry in New York are increasing demand in Miami.
“Unfortunately, the mayor and the governor of New York have been my best prosecutors, they are sending everyone in our direction,” he said.
‘After the first shutdown, they had some hope that it wouldn’t be long before things recovered. But after the second shutdown, he really ended up with a lot of business owners.
‘Knowing that Florida isn’t planning to close … people are just pulling the trigger.’
In Miami, restaurants were allowed to operate at 100% capacity throughout the winter, as long as social distance is maintained.
Florida Governor Rick DeSantis abandoned all restrictions related to COVID-19 in September last year.
Harlem’s Red Rooster (pictured above) was also recently opened in Miami
It’s almost impossible to get a reservation at the Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse Cote, and those who do are limited to 60 minutes to keep people coming and going.
The Altamarea Group, behind Michelin stars Marea and Ai Fiori in Manhattan, opened its fifth, Osteria Morini, in Miami in early February
Under current New York restrictions, indoor dining is now allowed in the city at 35% capacity.
The industry had to face a harsh winter of just eating outdoors, after indoor meals were banned in October, when infections started to escalate.
This means that dining indoors in New York was essentially banned for most of 2020.
Garry Kafner, the owner of New York’s Kissaki, now plans to open two new restaurants in Miami this year.
When the pandemic broke out and the New York restaurant scene came to a halt under restrictions, Kafner opened its doors in the Hamptons and Connecticut.
“I think a lot of restaurants are really nervous about what happened,” he told DailyMail.com.
“I think COVID took a lot out of people, but it also created a lot of opportunities. I was always trying to move to Miami, but I think COVID accelerated that.
‘It’s an exciting situation in Miami. I feel great about growing up. ‘
He is now focusing on Florida due to the number of people who fled New York City in favor of Miami in the midst of the pandemic.
‘Miami has always been a good place for restaurants. I feel that now, since many sectors are moving here … many families are moving here … this gives a lot more opportunities for restaurant owners, ‘he said.
‘Miami used to be a second home for many people and is now becoming the main residence.’
Among them is Carlyn Shear, 28, a New York City marketing consultant, who has lived in Miami since January.
Shear said that while she still thinks New York is the best city, she has moved on because many of the things that made her great are currently unavailable.
She said that all of her friends also moved to Florida during the pandemic.
‘I recently signed a lease for an apartment here and paid less than half of my rent in NY. My apartment here is probably twice the size, ‘she said.
“West Palm Beach and Palm Beach feel like a small town, but you have a lot of similarities to New York, like similar types of restaurants, bars and people.”
Favorite celebrities like Carbone, Cote and Sant Ambroeus have already settled in Miami
Garry Kafner (above), the owner of New York’s Kissaki, now plans to open two new restaurants in Miami this year. He’s focusing on Florida due to the number of people who fled New York City in favor of Miami in the midst of the pandemic
Among those who moved to Miami is Carlyn Shear, 28, a marketing consultant in New York City, who has lived in Florida since January. Shear said that while she still thinks New York is the best city, she has moved on because many of the things that made her great are not available at the moment
New coronavirus cases in Florida continue to fall after reaching record highs during the holiday boom.
Hospitalizations and deaths have also been decreasing since the beginning of the year.
The state has already fully vaccinated almost 9% of its population.
Cases, deaths and hospitalizations are also declining sharply in New York, where about 8% of the population has been fully vaccinated.
This is when a survey published last month by the New York City Hospitality Alliance showed that the number of restaurants, bars, clubs and event venues in New York that have failed to pay rent has increased since the pandemic began.
It peaked at 92 percent in December.
The survey found that 45.2% of companies surveyed did not pay rent in December and 46.4% paid only a few. Only 8.4% paid the entire rent.
Of those who managed to pay part of the rent, almost 50% paid half the rent.
Among the 39.7% of companies whose rent was waived by owners during the pandemic, 41.4% had to pay half the rent.
Another 41.5% waived less than half of the rent and only 17.2% for more than half of the rent.
In the survey, 24.3% revealed that they have not renegotiated the rental with the owner, but are in good faith negotiations.
New coronavirus cases in Florida continue to fall after reaching record highs during the holiday boom
Cases, deaths and hospitalizations are also declining sharply in New York, where about 8 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated
Research published last month by the New York City Hospitality Alliance showed that the number of restaurants, bars, clubs and venues in New York that failed to pay the rent has increased since the pandemic began.