Sushi concepts debut in NY's 'sixth borough': Miami Beach

Nation's Restaurant News, Oct 29, 2001 by Jack Hayes

MIAMI--The connection that long has lured restaurateurs from Manhattan in search of hungry south Florida customers remains strong with the debut here of four hot New York-influenced sushi concepts.

Three of the sushi newcomers, Shoji Sushi, Bond Street and Nobu, have opened in the last six months, while the fourth, a clone of Manhattan's eclectic Japanese-Brazilian-Peruvian brand SushiSamba, is set to debut here this week, according to creator Shimon Bokovza.

And while restaurateurs acknowledge that their tourism business has been badly buffeted by the Sept. 11 attacks and the slowing economy, an affluent Miami customer base with a penchant for dining out is keeping many of the newcomers and their older Manhattan transplants busy.

"Miami Beach is the sunny Southern backyard of New York City, and it's the American Mecca of Latin music," Bokovza said. "And with the recent openings you have a lot of serious Japanese food. So it was the natural place for us to go."

The founders of Benihana felt the same way back in 1964, when the now 70-unit Japanese steak and sushi brand operated as a single restaurant in New York. Six years later the chain opened its first south Florida unit in Fort Lauderdale. It had migrated to Miami Beach by 1973 and eventually moved its headquarters to Miami. There now are three Miami Benihanas.

Yet the New York - Miami connection goes back to 1913, when the legendary Joe's Stone Crab was launched on the south tip of South Miami Beach by New York transplant Jesse Weiss. Eighty-eight years later Joe's remains the most recognized destination in Miami.

"There's always been a New York-Miami connection," said former New York operator Myles Chafetz, who opened the fine-dining seafood concept Nemo here in 1995, followed by Big Pink a year later and then Shoji Sushi in March of this year. "People often refer to Miami Beach as the sixth borough of New York."

But Chafetz, who had been a partner in the New York supper club Tatou before opening Country Club in Manhattan and Conscience Point in East Hampton, N.Y., credits his timing in the move here for much of his success.

"The area has developed around us," Chafetz said. "There are 2,000 new condominiums under construction in the SOFI [local acronym for South of Fifth Street] neighborhood. The masses are here, and they recognize the New York restaurant brands."

Smith & Wolensky Restaurant Group president Alan Stillman opened an upscale Smith & Wolensky steakhouse on the far south end of Washington Avenue in December 1977 and never regretted it.

"We are beyond pleased with our Miami Beach location," Stillman said. "On a year-over-year basis, it's the only restaurant we have that is acting well despite the terrorist tragedy and the fact that we're in the middle of a very bad, high-end recession."

Stillman credits his prime waterfront location, his intensive targeting of local clientele and, like Chafetz, the area's strong growth. But, also like Chafetz, Stillman believes if his restaurant were relying totally on the tourist trade, business would not be going so well.

"Even when travel was way down, we weren't shut off because so many upscale people have moved into the area," Smith & Wolensky general manager Arthur Forgette added.

Shortly after Chafetz debuted Shoji Sushi, New York operator Jonathan Morr launched a clone of his downtown Manhattan concept, Bond Street, in the Townhouse Hotel on 19th Street.

"I think Bond Street's becoming such an immediate destination surprised a lot of people," spokeswoman Cynthia Srednicki said. "It's a neighborhood restaurant, and it's winning awards for best fusion Japanese."

But the late summer opening of the acclaimed sushi brand Nobu at the Shore Club here, also on 19th Street, firmly established Miami Beach as a sushi destination. Opened by the New York-based Nobu Group, whose owners Richard Notar and Robert DeNiro also put a sister Mediterranean concept called Sirena in the nearly-open 325-room hotel, Nobu became an overnight hot spot, according to Shore Club spokeswoman Ruthie Vexler.

"They're on a no-reservations policy, and the restaurant has been packed," Vexler said.

Although lacking a sushi concept in Miami Beach at the present time, New York-based China Grill Management has the potential to bring its already successful Asia de Cuba brand here. Already operating 17 units between Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Manhattan, Miami Beach and London, the group opened China Grill -- its first concept out of New York -- in the Miami market in 1995.

China Grill Management also opened The Blue Door at the Delano Hotel in 1997, followed by Red Square and Tuscan Steak -- all projects that linked China Grill Management's chief executive, Jeffery Chodorow, with Ian Schrager of New York-based Ian Schrager Hotels Inc., according to China Grill group spokesman Terry Zarikian.

Under a partnership called Schrager-Chodorow Ventures that operates foodservice at all Schrager Hotels, Chodorow's team will be opening The Blue Door at the Royalton Hotel in Manhattan next spring.