Behind a black gate in Little Haiti at Magic City Innovation District is a magical oasis that has been transformed into a community space. Once an old, Southern-inspired home with a gorgeous banyan tree in the backyard will now be the location of a new pop up concept that’s all about good music, good food, and good vibes. ZeyZey has entered the chat.
The brainchild of the folks behind Grassfed Culture Hospitality (Los Felix, Krus), ZeyZey brings together ultimately the best parts of the Magic City. Josh Hackler, the CEO and founder of Grassfed Culture Hospitality, credits meeting Tigre founder, Isabella Acker, as a source of inspiration for ZeyZey. Music has always been a part of their Coconut Grove concepts. The team was looking for a way to better spotlight music and truly give it a stage.
Conversations between the team and Acker continued for months until a space was found and the groundwork was set. “It happened very organically in that sense,” says Hackler. “We found this space and it was just a really magical place to launch a concept that was really built around community.
“We want this to be a space that’s open for people to be able to come and enjoy a hangout space, a cultural space – a space to really enjoy and see what’s happening in Miami,” says Hackler.
Built around a former house, the venue is equal parts cozy and homey mixed with spacious and inviting. At the main entrance will sit various food vendors and a bar in a gazebo. Inside the house will be a listening room where DJs will be invited to spin vinyl. And, finally, out back, surrounding the banyan tree, will be a container bar and a stage for live acts. Seats are plenty throughout the space for guests to chill and enjoy the vibes.
The design and flow for ZeyZey is loosely inspired by large summer block parties in New York. Pili Restrepo Hackler, the creative director for Grassfed Culture Hospitality, recalls a recent trip to the city where she experienced a beautiful feeling of community in spaces that were created with the intention to bring people together. It was stimulating.
“How can we make that here?” She thought. “How can we bring something like that to Miami?”
Restrepo Hackler, wanted to help shine a spotlight on locals and fellow hospitality folks. “In collaboration with friends who are chefs who are doing amazing things for Miami in the culinary world, we wanted to give them a platform to share their work. And when we found this space, it was just like a no brainer. We knew we had to tap into it.
“It’s just so magical,” she says, echoing her husband’s sentiment.
Although the folks behind Grassfed Culture Hospitality are behind the operations of ZeyZey, the concept is all about collaboration. The idea is to create a space where local and global musical acts and DJs can perform and spin, as well as local food vendors to set up shop. All of this, of course, paired with craft cocktails and a selection of natural wines and beers.
“The two biggest aspects of ZeyZey for me are two very powerful things that connect people, and that’s music and food,” says Sebastian Vargas, Executive Chef of Grassfed Culture Hospitality.
While the musical experience changes every weekend, Vargas wants to ensure that the culinary side of the venue is also delivering a unique experience visit after visit. The idea is to have the food be a “constant, evolving menu,” he says. “One that changes throughout the season, changes throughout our own personal experiences with the food vendors.
“It’ll always be something new. It’ll always be something exciting.”
When it comes to the programming, there will be no shortage of talent. Tigre’s founder, Acker, will be in charge of the musical programming at ZeyZey.
“I’m excited because it’s a true celebration of local, emerging, and international talent,” says Acker. “We’re excited to have a space for our hometown DJs and also bring together the flavors of Latin and global sound.”
“Latin is always pigeonholed to one genre and right now it’s reggaeton. I think we’re really excited to empower and celebrate the whole scheme of Latin music and really push interesting musical projects and actually give a platform for artists to take their sets to the next level.”
Whether you plan to dance the night away or just relax alongside some good tunes and a drink, Zey Zey will have options. ZeyZey officially opens on Friday, July 14, and is located at 353 NE 61 Street, Miami, FL. Hours of operation are Fridays and Saturdays, 4 p.m. to late. Stop by the grand opening on Friday and Saturday. Tickets here and here, respectively. Follow @zeyzeymiami on Instagram for more.
Photos by FujiFilmGirl, Vanessa Diaz, and World Red Eye