Haute Dining: Gigi Plans to Expand to South Beach

Gigi, the chic Midtown Miami restaurant, is not even a year old but has already received boundless acclaim by critics and foodies, leading it to become one of Miami’s hottest new restaurants. Owner Amir Ben-Zion is taking this as a sign and is rumored to be opening a second branch of the hip eatery just off Lincoln Road in South Beach.

According to public records, Ben-Zion had submitted a letter of intent to lease 7,000 square feet of space in the parking garage located on Pennsylvania Avenue, an extension of the gorgeous Frank Gehry-designed New World Center. The new space is considerably larger than its Midtown counterpart, but for good reason. The new branch is currently called “Gigi Village” and plans to include a Gigi Burger Bar, Gigi Minibar, and Gigi Coffee & Bakery, with a prospective gallery in the plans as well.

On April 13, Ben-Zion pitched his vision before the commission, who was advised to approve the ten-year lease of the South Beach location. The build-out is estimated to cost $2.5 million with rent costing $525,000 annually at $75 per square foot. Although these plans have not yet been absolutely confirmed by Ben-Zion himself, we in the Miami foodie nation have reason to celebrate and anticipate – the summary of an item recently submitted to the Miami Beach City Commission reads, “The prospective tenant is planning to open a second version of its highly acclaimed Gigi’s [sic] Restaurant currently operating in Miami’s Wynwood district.” Thank you, food gods.

[Source: Miami New Times]

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