▼ SOUTH BEACH LURE’S JOHN MCDONALD ON WHY HE’S MOVING HIS RESTAURANT FROM THE LOEWS sometimes several. That’s certainly the case with Lure Fish- bar, the Miami Beach seafood restaurant that originally opened in 2013. On August 9, news broke that New York red-sauce institution, Rao’s, will be opening at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. The following day, John McDonald, owner of Lure Fishbar, confirmed that his restaurant will be moving out of the hotel to make way for Rao’s. “I’ve had a great partnership with the hotel,” McDonald tells New Times. “Now, it’s perfect timing, because we were looking to relocate the restaurant off the beach, and the Loews was able to make a deal with Rao’s.” Seafood lovers can rejoice, however, be- cause McDonald tells New Times he won’t be leaving Miami. Instead, the Mercer Street Hospitality founder is looking to relocate the establish- ment to a larger space where he can have more creative vision. “When Lure moved into the St. Moritz building at the Loews, there were a lot of re- strictions because it was a landmarked build- ing. We literally had to float the walls from the ceiling,” says McDonald. “This time, we want a space that’s more in tune with the original New York location.” It’s a move that has been nearly a year in the making, adds McDonald, who spent the last several months discussing future plans with Loews, which acts as an operating partner in the restaurant, following a one-year closure due to the pandemic. Unlike most restaurants that were able to reopen and continue operating — albeit on a restricted capacity — a few weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, Loews hotel management closed the property to ensure both public and staff safety. That closure would last for about a year (Lure has since reopened). While Lure was shuttered, though, Mc- Donald did not sit idle. Instead, he launched three New York restaurants during CO- VID-19, including the most recent opening of Smyth Tavern in Tribeca last week. McDonald says he is considering several neighborhoods, including Wynwood and Brickell, for his “Lure 2.0,” adding that the right location will be based on the physical architecture of the space. For now, fans of Lure can still visit the lo- cation at the Loews into the fall. There is cur- rently no date set for closing the restaurant, though McDonald speculates it will be before the end of the year. “After almost a decade, it’s been a great ex- perience and a great run for us at this loca- tion,” says McDonald. “The fact that we were able to have nine-plus years in Miami Beach is fantastic. That’s why I’m so interested in relocating Lure. Clearly, so many of our cus- tomers feel the same.” Lure Fishbar. 1601 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-695-4550; lurefishbar.com. NICOLE DANNA Voted Best Outdoor Restaurant in Miami — New Times Best of Miami® 2022 When one door closes, another opens — or Visit us at the Happiest Place on the Water! 1819 79th Street Causeway, North Bay Village, FL 33141 • 305.866.1570 15 15 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | miaminewtimes.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | NEW TIMES MIAMI NEW TIMES AUGUST 18-24, 2022 MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008
