14 February 12-18, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | LEE SCHRAGER BY NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR Lee Schrager has spent decades shaping how America eats, drinks, and gathers, but in 2026, his influence in Miami feels bigger than ever. As the founder and director of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF), Schrager is being named a 2026 People to Watch honoree by New Times for helping transform a once- young festival into one of the city’s most pow- erful cultural institutions and for continuing to push Miami’s food scene forward with in- tention, confidence, and purpose. What began as a wine-and-food festival has grown into a weeklong celebration that takes over beaches, restaurants, hotels, and neighborhoods across South Florida, drawing global culinary stars and tens of thousands of attendees. Yet Schrager insists the Festival’s growth has never been about standing still or simply scaling up for the sake of it. “What’s kept the Festival growing is that we’ve never stood still,” Schrager says. “From day one, the goal wasn’t just to host tastings; it was to create experiences that cel- ebrate the people, cultures, and stories be- hind the food.” That philosophy has allowed SOBEWFF to evolve alongside Miami itself. “Miami is constantly evolving, and we evolve with it,” he adds. Over the years, the Festival has expanded its footprint, talent roster, and programming, while remaining anchored in its founding mis- sion. “We’ve expanded the footprint, the talent, and the programming, but we’ve also stayed true to our purpose: raising funds for the Chap- lin School of Hospitality & Tourism Manage- ment at Florida International University (FIU) and giving students real-world opportunities,” Schrager says. “That mission keeps us grounded, and it keeps the Festival relevant.” Schrager has also played a key role in help- ing Miami embrace its culinary identity with- out comparison or apology. For years, the city’s dining scene was framed through the lens of other major markets. That has changed. “Miami has always had incredible food, but now the city truly embraces its iden- tity as a global culinary capital,” he says. “It’s no longer trying to be compared to New York or Los Angeles.” Instead, Miami’s strength lies in its cul- tural mix. “Miami understands that its strength is its diversity, from Latin American, Caribbean, European, and beyond, and that mix is what makes the dining scene so excit- ing,” Schrager says. That confidence is visible across the city. “There’s a new confidence here, and you feel it in the restaurants, from the homegrown local talent that’s been here putting the city on the map from the start, to the imports bringing their concepts to add to the dining scene.” Despite working at the highest levels of food, media, and communications, Schrager’s connection to Miami remains deeply per- sonal. “Miami is a city of possibility,” he says. “It’s creative, entrepreneurial, and constantly reinventing itself.” That sense of momentum is part of what continues to energize him. “You can take an idea here and watch it grow in real time,” he adds. “There’s also a warmth to the people and the culture that you don’t find everywhere.” That warmth is reflected in the Festival it- self, which manages to feel both massive and deeply personal — a balance Schrager says is entirely by design. “It’s completely intentional,” he explains. “Even though we’re producing hundreds of events, I always want each guest to feel like the place they’re walking into was made for them.” Whether it’s an intimate dinner or a sprawling beachside tasting, the goal never changes. “Great food, great talent, and a real connection between the people cooking and the people attending,” Schrager says. “That human element is what keeps people coming back year after year.” At the core of Schrager’s work is philan- thropy, which he views as the true measure of success. “For me, success has never just been about attendance numbers or celebrity chefs,” he says. “It’s about impact.” Over the years, SOBEWFF has raised more than $45 million for FIU’s Chaplin School, funding scholarships, facilities, and student pro- grams. “When I see graduates of the pro- gram going on to work at restaurants, hotels, and major hospitality companies, that’s the real payoff,” Schrager says. “Knowing the Festival is helping shape the next generation of leaders is what makes it meaningful.” Looking ahead, Schrager shows no signs of slowing down. “What excites me most is the opportunity to keep evolving,” he says. “The food world moves quickly, and I’m al- ways interested in what’s next - new chefs, new cuisines, new ways of bringing people together around the table.” For SOBEWFF, that means expanding reach, deepening part- nerships, and continuing to innovate. “There’s always another chapter,” Schrager says, “and that’s what keeps it fun.” In 2026, Lee Schrager isn’t just watching Miami’s food culture grow — he’s still actively shaping where it goes next. DAVID FOULQUIER BY OLEE FOWLER David Foulquier is not interested in playing it safe. Managing two Michelin- starred sushi spots in Manhattan — Sushi Noz and Noz 17 — along with a pizza empire growing across Miami (Eleventh Street Pizza), would be enough for most. Foulquier instead spent the past few years relaunching Fooq’s in a 14,000-square-foot restaurant and lounge complex in a Little River warehouse. A 2026 New Times People to Watch hon- oree, Foulquier acts as the engine behind the We All Gotta Eat hospitality group. His latest massive venture at 150 NW 73rd St. serves as the permanent home for the revived Fooq’s, which is now also boasting an upstairs vinyl lounge, Lion’s Den. Moving into this indus- trial space fulfills a long-term goal for Foul- quier. He believes the local scene is finally finding its footing. “I feel a lot of pride about Miami’s restau- rant scene,” Foulquier says. “I feel like I’ve re- ally done my part to help put it on the map and to do things the right way.” Foulquier’s obsession with the dining room is ingrained in him from childhood. Born and raised in Manhattan to a Persian- French family, he grew up learning about the nuances of hosting and service. He eventually moved to South Florida to attend the Univer- sity of Miami before transferring to the Chap- lin School of Hospitality at FIU, a move he credits as the foundation for his career. By 24, he opened the original Fooq’s on NE 11th St., introducing Persian-Mediterranean comfort food and a sophisticated wine list to a then-underdeveloped corner of downtown Miami. Even as he expanded back to New York with Sushi Noz - which earned its first Michelin star in 2018 - Foulquier remained a constant fixture in Miami’s food scene. When the pandemic disrupted the industry, he transformed the original Fooq’s space in 2021 into Eleventh Street Pizza, which has since grown to a second location in Kendall. The transition from Persian cuisine to omakase to pizzas was a matter of standards he upholds for himself and his team, rather than a culinary style. “It doesn’t discriminate from pizza to sushi; it’s the quality that mat- ters,” he adds. Despite his outward confidence, Foulquier admits the weeks leading up to the January 2026 opening of Fooqs were restless. The stakes are way higher when the dining room seats 200. “As much as I exude confidence, I’m just like everyone else,” Foulquier says. “I have a hard time sleeping. I have a lot of anxiety based on my business being successful.” That pressure is tied to a sense of respon- sibility toward the people who keep the busi- nesses moving forward. Foulquier is vocal about wanting to build a sustainable environ- ment for his staff, hoping to provide enough upward trajectory to keep them within the company for years. “I want to make all my people like lifers, as many as possible,” Foul- quier says. “People who want to stick with me and I want to be able to give them an upward trajectory, and I want all of them to want to grow with me.” For those looking to break into the industry and be a restaurateur themselves, he’s as di- rect as can be: “You better love what you do, and you better never get down on yourself, and you better be ready to go to war,” he notes. Foulquier isn’t here to chase the latest Mi- ami dining trend. His goal for 2026 is simple: show that Miami can support a concept that prioritizes quality over flash, even when it isn’t in a trendy neighborhood. While he ac- knowledges the city is famously fickle with its dining, he bets the city’s culinary scene is fi- nally growing up. “In New York City, you get rewarded for being great and for being the best,” Foulquier says. “That hasn’t always been the case for Miami. You get rewarded for weird things and punished for weird things, historically.” As Foulquier navigates the rest of the year, he is sticking to his guns: “Happy music only” in the upstairs lounge and wood-fired plates in the dining room. In a city obsessed with the next big opening, he is busy building some- thing that doesn’t have an expiration date. [email protected] Photo by Ruth Kim David Foulquier Lee Schrager SOBEWFF Photo People to Watch from p13 P E O P L E TO W ATC H 2026
