Will this Art Deco gem become South Beach’s new hot dining destination?
South Beach’s iconic Firestone auto repair and tire shop is ready to service customers again — but this time with food.
Three new restaurants by nightlife king-turned-restaurateur David Grutman are slated to open inside the remodeled building by March, beneath the restored neon Firestone sign at 1569 Alton Road. Winker’s Diner, Sushi Fly Kitchen and Toothfairy are the latest restaurant concepts in Grutman’s growing portfolio.
“We think Miami Beach is ready for something great like this,” Grutman told the Miami Herald last summer. “It’s such a historic, iconic location in Miami Beach.”
The building has stood on the corner of Alton Road and 16th Street since 1935. There have been plans to turn it into a food venue since a group headed by real estate developers Marisa Galbut, Mark Muhlrad and David B. Smith bought it in 2015 for $10 million, according to property records. Reigniting the glowing red Firestone sign was always in the works.
“How cool is that Firestone sign?” Grutman said.
Grutman convinced them he was the right operator, after successfully diving into restaurants, starting with Komodo in 2015 and adding Planta, Swan and Papi Steak to his interests beyond nightclubs Liv and Story.
And he has a plan for three very different restaurants under one roof — all of them stylish.
Winker’s Diner, a massive 240-seat restaurant, is rooted in American nostalgia, with a curving peninsula bar and classic teal booths to evoke a 1950s diner. The menu will feature all-day breakfast, oversized sandwiches, soups and salads.
“I love to eat diner food, but I like to reimagine it and add our vision,” Grutman said. “We’re not exactly going to be the early-bird dinner kind of place.”
The dark, moody next-door Sushi Fly Chicken leans into that, featuring pan-Asian inspired cuisine, from Japanese sushi to the Korean fried chicken that Grutman says is the top seller at his Japanese-themed Komodo. SFC incorporated the former auto shop’s garage door into the entrance. And behind a simple stainless steel door in the back, diners can pass through to a lounge featuring a cocktail bar that will highlight Japanese whiskeys and sakes. The space also makes room for an art gallery that will host works from rotating artists, beginning with the Miami-based artist Santlov.
“We think it’s going to be an interesting twist,” Grutman said.
Toothfairy will be an opportunity for one of Miami’s most talented pastry chefs, Dallas Wynne, to show off with ice cream, cakes and cookies. She is a protegee of Hedy Goldsmith (a James Beard award nominee as a pastry chef) and was responsible for the decadent desserts at South Beach’s excellent Stubborn Seed and Bebito’s Café.
All three restaurants will offer indoor and outdoor dining, delivery and grab-and-go options.
Winker’s Diner, Sushi Fly Chicken, Toothfairy
1569 Alton Rd., Miami Beach
Opening March 2021
This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Will this Art Deco gem become South Beach’s new hot dining destination?."
