ROBERTA & HARVEY CHAPLIN
CATEGORY: Power Couples
COMPANY: Southern Wine & Spirits of America
INDUSTRY: Liquor & Wine Distribution
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: Harvey is a self-made millionaire who graced the Forbes billionaire list in the not-too-distant past. He already had started in his current industry by the time he graduated high school, working in the mailroom of spirit marketer and importer Schenley Industries. Today, he is the chairman and CEO of Southern Wine & Spirits, which is the country’s largest distributor of adult beverages. Both he and his wife are extremely active in the local philanthropic scene and are lifetime benefactors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Florida. In 2009, Mount Sinai announced that its new Comprehensive Stroke Center would be named for Harvey R. Chaplin, whose generous support helped purchase the necessary medical equipment.
MYLES CHEFETZ
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: Myles Restaurant Group
INDUSTRY: Restaurant
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: Chefetz, a Miami native, can be credited with helping turn South Beach’s South of Fifth neighborhood into the luxury enclave it is known as today. His extremely successful restaurants (Prime One Twelve, Prime Italian, Nemo, Shoji Sushi, Big Pink) are all located within a block of each other in this high-end neighborhood, and Miami’s elite crowd descend upon the establishments night after night for a taste of the good life. In 2009, diners didn’t even have to go home after over-indulging, as Chefetz debuted Prime Hotel & Lounge, a new boutique hotel also South of Fifth. The James Beard Foundation recognized his efforts in 2009; Chefetz was a semifinalist for the prestigious Outstanding Restaurateur award.
EVA & MICHAEL CHOW
CATEGORY: Power Couples
COMPANY: Mr Chow
INDUSTRY: Restaurant
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: Known for his Mr Chow empire, Michael Chow has been in the restaurant business for more than 30 years. His establishments, which specialize in highly sophisticated Beijing cuisine, have flourished in the world’s hottest cities, including London, Beverly Hills, New York, and Las Vegas. He and his beautiful wife Eva personally design each of the chic locales, which are lauded for their décor and artwork as much as for the cuisine. The power couple descended upon South Florida shores last year to open a restaurant in the W South Beach, and Mr Chow immediately became the place to be seen and to see, as the design is sophisticated and pristine. Many of the paintings, sketches, and portraits adorning the walls come from the Chow’s personal collection.
SARA & UGO COLOMBO
CATEGORY: Power Couples
COMPANY: CMC Group / NEST
INDUSTRY: Real Estate / Fashion
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: Ugo graced the cover of Haute Living Miami in 2006 along with Giuseppe Cipriani, thanks to the duo’s collaboration on the still-forthcoming Cipriani Ocean Resort and Residences. Ugo has created some of Miami’s most recognizable structures as the president of CMC Group and the founder of Glasswall, LLC, which specializes in impact-resistant window systems for high-rise properties. In 2009, Haute Living Miami featured former fashion model Sara in a piece that discussed her new interior lifestyle boutique Nest, on Lincoln Road. The 2,200-square-foot shop, located between Michigan and Lenox Avenues, specializes in high-style products for the home presented with a coveted European flair that is reflective of Sara’s innate sense of style.
SEAN “DIDDY” COMBS
CATEGORY: Entertainers
COMPANY: Bad Boy Entertainment
INDUSTRY: Entertainment
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: The Grammy award-winning artist, whose impressive estate on Star Island is a must-see stop on all of the celebrity-home boat tours that raid the waters of Biscayne Bay, is almost as well known for his business ventures as for his music. The hip-hop impresario’s Bad Boy Entertainment is an umbrella company that operates Bad Boy Records, Sean Jean clothing line, a movie production company, Ciroc vodka, and two restaurants. He is currently promoting his sixth album Last Train to Paris, even giving an unprecedented performance on American Idol to hype up its June 22 release.
MATT DAMON
CATEGORY: Entertainers
COMPANY: LivePlanet
INDUSTRY: Film
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: The A-list actor (named “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2007 by People) settled down in Miami Beach with a former bartender from a South Beach hot spot. The couple has two girls, and Damon is also stepfather to another from his wife’s first marriage, meaning he’s the only male in his household. Maybe that accounts for the action-packed, explosion-riddled flicks he stars in, such as the Bourne series and his latest film, The Green Zone. In addition to being a box-office draw, the Harvard-educated Damon is a liberal activist, philanthropist, and Miami triathlon competitor. He co-founded LivePlanet production company with Ben Affleck in 2000 with the mission of creating media that can be enjoyed across a variety of platforms, and while the company has been “resting” for a bit, in February, it was announced that the two Oscar winners are teaming up again to produce films for Warner Bros.
BRETT DAVID
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: Prestige Imports
INDUSTRY: Automobile
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: After the unfortunate passing of his father, Irv David, this young man stepped up to run the family business when he was just 19 years old. With a portfolio that includes Lamborghini Miami, Lamborghini Palm Beach, Prestige Audi, and Prestige Imports, he is responsible for one of the most elite collections of luxury car dealers in South Florida. Under his leadership, Prestige has obtained No. 1 rankings in the world for both its Lamborghini Miami and Prestige Audi dealerships, no small feat for this young entrepreneur. In honor of his late father, David teamed with the American Heart Association to develop the Prestigious Heart Fund, a non-profit dedicated to promoting heart health and awareness.
FRED DELUCA
CATEGORY: Billionaires
COMPANY: Subway Sandwiches and Salads
INDUSTRY: Restaurant
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: As one of the wealthiest Americans and founder of Subway, this Ft. Lauderdale resident led the nation on a craze for $5 footlongs. He opened his first sandwich shop at age 17 with $1,000 that he had to borrow. That initial gamble paid off. In 2009, Subway revenues were close to $14 billion, and an international expansion is underway. Subway plans to open 500 stores in China over the next few years, capitalizing on the booming market.
MICHAEL & GIL DEZER
CATEGORY: Originators
COMPANY: Dezer Properties
INDUSTRY: Real Estate
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: This father-and-son team has used Dezer Properties to form a monopoly over luxury development, hotel, and commercial spaces in New York, Las Vegas, and Miami by managing more than 1,000 oceanfront hotels. They are currently developing the Trump Grande Ocean Resort & Residence in Sunny Isles Beach, and Dezer Properties recently took over Related Group’s ownership stake in that project. The family business owns an additional 45 acres in Sunny Isles Beach, which translates to eight additional oceanfront sites that the company can develop. That’s pretty haute.
DAVID EDELSTEIN
CATEGORY: Originators
COMPANY: Tristar Capital
INDUSTRY: Hospitality
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: A former taxi cab driver who made it big in the real estate industry, Edelstein’s golden investment is the Lincoln Road pedestrian mall, while his current portfolio includes two world-class buildings on New York’s Central Park West. This 2009 Haute Living Miami cover subject is the principal of Tristar Capital, which joined with developer Aby Rosen’s RFR to open the new W South Beach, which immediately became an epicenter of high-class action. The W South Beach, which opened in July 2009, is a manifestation of all of the characteristics of the current Miami Beach—it’s chic, sophisticated, buzzing, beachfront, and, perhaps most importantly, culturally relevant.
News
April 13, 2010Keeping Up with Miami’s Culinary Scene
