Is the party over, Miami? Nightclub owners say they feel like the ‘forgotten stepchild’
Megan and Behrouz Nazari want answers.
Because South Florida’s nightlife needs some attention.
The Miami Beach couple own the intimate, cheekily named nightclub, Do Not Sit on the Furniture. They are in a holding pattern, like the rest of the industry.
“We’re trying to stay positive, but it’s not easy,” said Megan. “We feel like the forgotten stepchild.”
Behrouz Nazari was a successful traveling DJ who worked festivals and events and spent many of his summers in Ibiza. Since the shutdown March 7, he estimates he has lost about 40 shows.
“It was like a runaway train; everything just got canceled,” he said. “One thing after another. Everyone is hurting.”
The club’s entire staff is furloughed, and to help them make ends meet, they ran a GoFundMe. A typical bartender made between $200 to $500 in tips on a good night.
Megan does not know how long club owners can go on without some glimmer of hope.
As South Florida restaurants gradually reopen with restrictions in Phase 2, bars and nightclubs are rarely mentioned.
“We’re the last sector. After everything’s done we’ll be the last to open. It’s sad,” she said. “Miami has a huge nightlife and hospitality industry. A lot of people are working paycheck to paycheck. They’re having issues getting unemployment and loans. It’s been incredibly difficult, from business owners to staff.”
It’s not clear exactly how much Miami-Dade earns annually from bars, because tax collection reports lump food-and-beverage into a single category. In fiscal year 2018-2019, the county received $2.95 million from the category; for the month of May alone, collections were down 89% from May 2019.
Even if clubs are put at 25 or 50 percent capacity, the Nazaris don’t see how they will survive with those caps, as the very nature of a club is to have it packed, with wall to wall people, breathing all over each other.
The two are hoping for a partial reopening by July 4, but it’s hard to say. If things remain at a standstill, they aren’t sure what will become of Miami Beach’s fun, vibey scene.
“Clubs bring such a great energy to the city. If we’re not here we become just a dead beach town,” said Meghan. “We need support and answers.”
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber is fully aware how much nightclubs are suffering and notes their glaring absence in the reopening guidelines.
“I mean, they’re down in Phase 3... Phase 3 Plus,” he said. “There’s no real manual. How do we do this? We are not getting information about clubs from the CDC or elsewhere.”
Late last month, some local bars in Miami that tried to reopen by serving food, were shut down hours before they could welcome patrons. City of Miami issued guidelines one day prior to the restaurant reopenings that excluded venues that sold primarily alcohol.
Nightlife king Dave Grutman, who owns hot spots Story and LIV, is also reeling, but taking things day by day. His restaurants Swan, Papi Steak and Komodo, were allowed to reopen during Phase 2.
But his clubs were among the first to close, he said, on the heels of the NBA suspending its season.
“You think the party is never going to end, and then it ends,” Grutman said.
His Groot Hospitality had to furlough hourly wage staff at his clubs and restaurants. But Grutman continued to pay for his employees’ health insurance, he said, and kept critical staff such as managers and head chefs.
“We’re in the people business and people are really important to us,” he said.
In the meantime, Grutman says his company is focusing on developing more affordable restaurants as the industry changes in the wake of COVID-19 — a departure from the opulence of high-priced bottle service at his celebrity magnet restaurants.
The married father of two said he is not sure when it will be safe to reopen a nightclub, where body heat and proximity are as much a draw as the music.
“I don’t know what 20, 30, 50 percent capacity looks like [in a club],” he said. “You don’t want to put people in an unsafe situation.”
But he doesn’t believe this is the end of the nightlife industry in a town known for endless parties.
“This is what we do,” he said. “We’re in Miami.”
But the big question remains: When will the strobe lights be back on? Reopening guidelines for both Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County don’t have nightclubs as part of the equation.
“In transitioning to a ‘New Normal,’ we rely on the expertise of scientists, health experts and people from all walks of life in Miami-Dade County,” says Miami Dade County’s website. “Working groups with medical experts from the Florida Department of Health, Jackson Health System, U-Health, and the medical schools at the University of Miami and Florida International University help us determine each step along the way.”
Once the rules come into play is when club owners can start to plan and they all seem willing to do whatever it takes: be it doing temperature checks at the door, social distancing on the dance floor, removing bar stools, ordering a drink on your phone, and setting up ample hand sanitizers stations.
Until then, club owners will stay in a holding pattern, waiting to hear from local authorities to give them the green light and to share guidelines to which they need to adhere.
“Our first concern is safety of our team and customers,” said Navin Chatani, who co-owns Racket in Wynwood and Wall at the W South Beach.
Chatani does admit social distancing will be challenging at a destination whose goal is to be packed.
“The initial guidelines might be a little odd for nightlife but we will work diligently to ensure all is handled properly until the restrictions lessen.”
Like the folks at DSOTF, Chatani believes clubs are vital to our culture and shouldn’t be put on the back burner for much longer.
“Nightlife is such a crucial part of the DNA in Miami for both locals and for tourists,” he said. ”There’s a whole new normal and we are adjusting in a way that’s going to be really unique that the consumer would like and feel comfortable with and still maintain a great vibe at each of our spots.”
In the meantime Gelber recommends individual owners put their own plans together that make sense from a health standpoint, following what bars and restaurants are doing. Plans can be submitted via email to the county to Deputy Mayor Jennifer Moon, Jennifer.Moon@miamidade.gov.
At the end of the day, Gelber believes the people will dictate.
“We have to see the tolerance of the public to be in an environment they have to worry about,” he said. “That’s going to motivate operators to really, I think, to reach down to dig down and create a healthy environment in which to feel safe and comfortable.”
The mayor admits the road to getting back to the throbbing music, pulsating crowds and flashing disco lights isn’t going to be a smooth one.
“I don’t think it’s going to be easy, but it’s certainly a possibility,” he said. “We’re in an era of managing risk. The mission of a bar or a nightclub — people indoors, shoulder to shoulder, shouting due to loud music — is inconsistent with the current guidelines, so there’s just no playbook. And there’s no fast solution.”
This story was originally published June 13, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
