While many of the country’s top restaurateurs – and Michelin – flock to Miami, David Grutman was there long before them all. After serving as a bartender in a sleepier part of town 25 years ago, he’s become the king of Miami nightlife thanks to successful clubs Liv and Story and now a collection of restaurants. So, as foreigners establish their first restaurants in Miami, it is in expansion mode, riding the wave of the Miami restaurant boom. His latest venture, he revealed exclusively to Robb Report, will be the Key Club, which will open in January 2022.

“It’s going to have a steak feel, but with an Americana grill,” Grutman says. “It’s 10,000 square feet, with indoor and outdoor seating and a sort of Brazilian decor.” The Key Club menu, still being finalized, will feature seafood, steaks, salads and more, the kind of dinner club dish that has resurfaced across the country in recent years. It’s a different concept than what Grutman has done in the past, but it will still look a lot like one of his places – the kind of place where you can find yourself singing “Living on a Prayer” or ” Africa “from Toto” while you eat.

“It’s important to have different types of products, but they all share a common DNA,” he says. “They all have a DJ; they all have exciting food that is bold and very shareable and fun. From the containers it’s served in to the mixology we make, we always love to wow people.

What also impresses people are the famous friends and clientele that Grutman has been able to cultivate over the decades. From Kim Kardashian and David Beckham to Justin Bieber and Pharrell Williams (with whom Grutman partners in one of his restaurants), the famous tend to end up in Grutman’s care at some point when they are in. southern Florida.

“I want to be a key Miami holder,” says Grutman, whose Liv consistently ranks among America’s top-grossing nightclubs every year. “Over the years I have been a source of trust for people – it has been great to be one of those ambassadors for Miami so people know they are going to be treated well and have a great experience. . “

The Key Club, located south of downtown Coconut Grove, will follow Grutman by opening three new restaurants in a former Firestone garage in Miami Beach: Sushi Fly Chicken, a concept featuring styles of fried chicken served throughout Asia; Winker’s Diner, its upscale version of the neighborhood restaurant; and Toothfairy bakery. These venues live under the aegis of Grutman’s Groot Hospitality, in which concert promoter Live Nation took a 51% stake in 2019.

This injection of funds allowed Groot Hospitality to grow, fueling the company’s current expansion at a time when property prices for restaurateurs are skyrocketing in Miami. Artists like New York hitmakers Major Food Group, Marcus Samuelsson and Cote building in the city have sparked a “gold rush” for food courts in Miami. This made it difficult for some residents to compete with money from out of town. Groot is not among them. It was well positioned because of the funding, and also because its expansion predated the current boom. For example, the Key Club has been under construction for over 18 months. Luckily for him, the expansion of his empire coincides with the move of people to Miami who want the kind of boisterous experience he’s selling.

“All these people are moving here – they left San Francisco, they left New York – and they have this entrepreneurial mindset,” Grutman says. “It created more excitement here than anywhere else, and you can see it through the food.”