It’s always curious to find out who owns what when it comes to nightlife in Miami. A majority of the time you’ll never recognize the name of the owner, but sometimes, it’ll definitely ring a bell, especially when it’s an ex-athlete or current celebrity. When celebrities own nightlife venues like clubs, bars or lounges, they put a lot of pride and money into the venue, and a majority of the time their name helps bring in top clientele. Although Miami isn’t the biggest of markets for celebrity owned nightlife venues, we’ve compiled a list of some of the places we think you should visit that are owned by celebs.
Ink Nightclub
717 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
You don’t have to be a singer or an athlete to be considered a celebrity in Miami. You can simply be an artist…tattoo artist that is. When Miami Ink aired on TV it was an instant hit, and the shop located on Washington Avenue struck gold. Now the boys from everyone’s favorite tattoo shop decided to expand their empire and create Ink Boutique Nightclub, one of the hottest venues in South Beach. Catering to an ultra-chic VIP clientele, which is perfect in Miami, the décor in the venue features a South Pacific and Polynesian inspired theme. There’s even a small retail shop located inside that’s open during the day. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that this is definitely one of the best celebrity owned nightlife venues in Miami.
Dream Nightclub
1532 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
If you’ve been in Miami for a while, then you’ll know that Dream Nightclub used to once be the infamous Shadow Lounge. But once those days were over an ex-NFL star came into town and decided to take over the venue. Kevin Hardy, once the mean hitting linebacker for the Cowboys and the Jaguars. With Dream being open for over two years now, a major accomplishment in South Beach nightlife, Kevin is just as successful in the nightlife business as he was on the field making Dream Nightclub one of the top celebrity owned venues in the city. A lot of the NFL guys stop by here, probably because Hardy steers them his way, but there’s never a shortage of beautiful women at the venue as well.
Mokaï
235 23rd Street
Miami Beach, FL 33139
There aren’t as many celebrity owned nightlife venues in Miami, but for the few that there are, they’re definitely some of the best. Mokaï is known for attracting some of the most beautiful women in the city. Their Tuesday night Favel Chic party is notorious for this, but the people you really should thank are the ones who invested in the venue in the first place, and one of the names on that short list is none other than Rony Seikaly. The ex-Miami Heat star forward quickly jumped into the nightlife business pool once he became acquainted with it. Now Mokaï is one of the most popular venues in South Beach and continues to bring in A-list clientele and entertainment week after week.
Bongo’s Cuban Café
601 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL 33132
There are restaurants that are a little dull to dine in, and then there are places like Bongo’s Cuban Café in Miami where it’s more of an experience. The Cuban cuisine at Bongo’s is insanely good, however, it’s the Latin style partying that really sets this venue apart. A creation of international superstars Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Bongo’s Cuban Café is definitely one of the top celebrity owned nightlife venues in the city. Whether you’re looking for a good meal or a unique partying experience in the city, make sure you stop by here.
