11 July 30 - August 5, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | BRUNCH EVERY SAT & SUN BEST WATERFRONT VIEWS IN MIAMI 3201 RICKENBACKER CWY, KEY BISCAYNE, FL 33149 | 305.361.3818 WWW.THERUSTYPELICAN.COM BE SOCIAL WITH US! /RUSTYPELICANMIAMI miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | smashburger restaurant. Wait. That Estrella Insur- ance? Yes. That Estrella Insurance. In what might be the most Miami business pivot ever, the family behind one of South Flori- da’s most recognizable insurance companies has officially entered the burger business. The family has opened Star Burger at 4901 SW. Eighth St. on Tamiami Trail. (Near Little Gables, if you will.) The name actually makes sense once you think about it. “Estrella” means “star” in Spanish. But if you’re anything like us, your first thought probably wasn’t “of course.” It was, “Do my fries come with roadside assistance?” The new fast-casual restaurant isn’t some ce- lebrity licensing deal or random side hustle. The Estrella family says the restaurant has been years in the making, built around cattle raised on its own ranch in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. The restaurant serves 100 percent grass-fed, grass-finished beef that’s shipped directly from the family’s ranch to Miami, cutting out distributors along the way. The menu leans hard into Texas-inspired com- fort food, with onion-smashed burgers like the “Rancho,” chili-topped burgers such as the Lone Ranger, gluten-free fried pickles called “Dillies,” Texan chili fries, and house-made sauces with names like 305 Favorite and Caribbean Kick. The inspiration traces back to Estrella Insur- ance founder Nicolas Estrella, who grew up on a tobacco farm in Cuba before immigrating to the United States. According to the family, owning a cattle ranch and raising quality beef had long been a personal dream. After years of serving the beef to family and friends, his sons decided it de- served its own restaurant. “Our family has long been committed to car- ing for the communities we serve, especially in Miami. This is our home,” says Joey Estrella, Presi- dent of Star Burger. “As food brings people to- gether and nurtures, opening a restaurant felt natural, and we’re incredibly proud to feature an exceptional product that originated from our own land that our family helped cultivate.” Still, none of that changes the fact that walk- ing into a burger restaurant owned by Estrella In- surance feels like stumbling into an alternate Miami universe. We’re just saying, if Sedano’s announces a lux- ury hotel next week or Flanigan’s starts selling life insurance, we won’t even blink. Star Burger. 4901 SW Eighth St., Miami; 786- 631-9186; starburger.com. NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR ▼ CORAL GABLES CAN YOU HANDLE THIS? New York-born self-serve froyo chain 16 Handles is opening in downtown Coral Gables, taking over the vacant storefront at 270 Miracle Mile, as first reported by The Burn Miami. Temporary signage is up in the windows, though there is no word yet on an opening date. The Gables shop will be the brand’s second in Miami-Dade, but its first on the mainland. It is joining its kosher-certified Surfside location at 9509 Harding Ave., as well as stores in Florida in Jupiter, West Palm Beach, and Boca Raton. The name is literal. Each shop features 16 ro- tating soft serve flavors spanning frozen yogurt, ice cream, sorbet, and vegan oat milk options, all self-serve and sold by weight. The flavors lean playful, think “Arriba Coffee,” “Butter Beer,” “Black Matcha,” “Dubai Chocolate,” and “Dune Spice” alongside classics like “Birthday Cake” and “Cotton Candy.” More than 50 toppings round it out, everything from fresh fruit to candy to sauces. The brand’s motto is “Let The Good Times Swirl.” 16 Handles opened its first shop in Manhat- tan’s East Village in 2008, when founder Solomon Choi introduced self-serve frozen yogurt to New York City and grew the concept into a franchise with dozens of locations across the East Coast. In August 2022, Neil Hershman, the brand’s largest franchisee, acquired the company and took over as CEO, with YouTuber Danny Duncan signing on as co-owner and chief creative officer. Duncan, who grew up in Englewood on Flori- da’s Gulf Coast, said at the time he planned to open a store in his hometown and help push the chain’s expansion across the country. The Florida footprint has been growing ever since. The fro-yo chain is inheriting one of Miracle Mile’s oldest addresses. Snow’s Jewelers opened at 270 Miracle Mile in 1974 and spent more than 50 years selling en- gagement rings, watches, and custom pieces to generations of Gables families before owners re- tired and closed the storefront in April, according to the Miami Herald. The couple still sees longtime clients by ap- pointment from a smaller office on LeJeune Road, but the old corner’s next act is frozen yogurt. 16 Handles. 270 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables; 16handles.com. Coming soon. BY OLEE FOWLER Screenshot via Instagram/happiness4food Smash burger restaurant Star Burger opens in Miami on Tamiami Trail with 100 percent grass-fed beef from the owners of Estrella Insurance.
