‘Culture is forever:’ This new hangout spot wants to preserve Little Haiti’s vibe
Soft tunes float from the D.J. booth at Lakou in Little Haiti, setting the rhythm for a laid-back October weekend night. One by one, patrons wander in — some linger over cocktails, others savor plates of Caribbean comfort food.
Located behind the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, Lakou sits on what used to be a patch of grass, a fitting locale given “lakou” in Haitian Creole means “yard.” Serving Haitian cuisine such as akra, bannann, griot and patat and cocktails like the fruity vodka Choublak Paradi (Hibiscus Paradise) and the banana and rum-inspired Zo Punch, the aim of Lakou is to provide an organic and authentic hangout in an ever-changing Little Haiti. On weeknights, Lakou is now a spot that attracts locals and visitors to Little Haiti to just relax like they were lounging in a friend’s backyard.
Lakou owner Aaron Goldstein, a senior vice president at commercial real estate firm Midgard, has played a big role in Little Haiti’s redevelopment in the past two years. Midgard purchased 20 blocks of property during an auction in 2022 and has redeveloped several including establishing the Choublak Little Haiti Visitor Center and Garden, upgrading the plaza where the iconic Santa Barbara Botanica is located and relocating the neighborhood’s signature corner store, Louis Market, to a new building. Lakou, which Goldstein said was modeled on the neighborhood hangout concept The Wynwood Yard, which closed in 2019, is another of Midgard’s Little Haiti projects that takes on redevelopment with a community-first approach.
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While Goldstein and the project’s general manager and mixologist Joseph Jebelean are Miami natives, neither are of Haitian descent (Goldstein is Jewish and Jebelean is half-Colombian and half-Romanian). Still, they hope to preserve the flavor of the neighborhood through an inviting walk-up space that includes Haitian artwork, and have leaned on those with Haitian backgrounds such as Miami Herald photographer Carl Juste, who owns a gallery nearby, and his nephew Winnick Blain, who hosts comedy shows at the venue.
On Fridays patrons can enjoy light bites while a DJ plays a mix of Caribbean sounds; Saturdays they are treated to live music, and Sundays offer wellness with morning yoga, an afternoon drum class and evening jazz. So far, Jebelean said, they’ve attracted more families to the space. “I wanted it to have more of that fun vibe,” he said, adding that they also sell snow cones as a snack for younger patrons. Lakou also opens during the week for some special nights like, comedy night and movie night.
“The area feels like the downtown of Little Haiti,” Goldstein said. “We want to make it walkable, pedestrian-friendly, and connected. Lakou is about collaboration and community.”
Lakou has a rotating group of Haitian chefs to keep the menu fresh, such as Chefs David Destinoble and Nadege Fleurimond. Chef Warren Rhoden, of food truck Jigga Jerk, is spearheading the kitchen and has added his smoked jerk wings to the menu, and while he is of Jamaican descent, the menu still has Haitian staples.
“You’ll have a few people that want it strict ‘how my mom made it,’” Rhoden said, “but you know this is still Miami. It’s a melting pot of different cultures.” Still, he isn’t veering from the Haitian cuisine, but wants to add his own spin onto it. “I’m trying to give it its own identity.”
Jebelean said he researched Haitian ingredients and traditions to carefully curate the bar menu, which is also written in Haitian Creole with English translations. “It’s a learning experience for us and our guests. People can try something new and pick up a few Creole words along the way.”
Lakou’s opening comes at a time when Little Haiti has seen a wave of redevelopment, rising rents and an owner-occupancy rate to about 10 percent. And at the same time, the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust is creating a strategic plan to keep residents in the neighborhood while attracting businesses and amenities they would enjoy.
READ: Homeowners in Little Haiti are aging. Here’s what the next generation is facing
Goldstein said gentrification can be “daunting” and “scary” to locals, but he’s had positive reception thus far. “Trends come and go, but culture is forever,” he said. “When people can express themselves in a safe space, you get to experience things on a different level. Little Haiti feels like home.”
Goldstein and Jebelean want Lakou to be a stop on people’s way as they enjoy Little Haiti. They’ve crafted a Little Haiti experience map that details other places that embrace and celebrate Haitian culture you can go in the community, such as Kotr Konpa Dance Studio and Libreri Mapou Bookstore, both on Northeast Second Avenue. The duo plan to have Lakou open during Miami Art Week with expanded operating hours, which will allow people from out of town to enjoy Lakou and what else Little Haiti has to offer.
“It would be scary to wake up one day and not have a Little Haiti,” Goldstein said. “This was something we felt was needed to do for our community, to blur the lines of separation and bring everybody on the street.”
IF YOU GO:
What: Lakou
When: 5 p.m. -midnight Friday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-noon and 5 p.m.-midnight Sunday; weekly programming announced on a rolling basis
Where: 207 NE 59th St., Miami
Info: www.lakou.miami
This story was originally published October 28, 2025 at 4:30 AM.