Miami Beach’s Epicure is expanding to Sunny Isles Beach & what’s the fate of Rascal House? Miami Beach’s Epicure market is about to take its fresh baked bread, homemade soups, and prepared foods on the road.
The Miami Beach Epicure
This gourmet market has been a Miami Beach institution for over 60 years. It is now taking over as the ground floor anchor tenant in the newly approved 14-story mixed-use facility. It will have 20,500 square feet of retail, 77,400 square feet of office space, and 243 Sunny Isles condos at 17150 and 17190 Collins Avenue. This is where the famous Rascal House sits today.
The new changes and requests were made by restaurateur Ike Starkman. Starkman is the proprietor of the Rascal House, Epicure Market in South Beach, and Jerry’s Famous Deli chain. The uncertain fate of The Rascal House has not yet been decided or whether it has a future in the new building or elsewhere. “We feel it’s time to grow Epicure,” said Jason Starkman, one of the Epicure owners. The Starkman family made the purchase 10 years ago from the original founders of Jerry’s Famous Deli. “The one thing we don’t want to do is open up stores that are unlike the original. It has to be exact. It has to have the same feeling.”
The Customer Base
Epicure typically draws in 1,500 to 1,700 customers daily, with sales growing from $10 million annually to $23 million today. The couple with two jobs is becoming more of the norm. The person in charge of putting dinner on the table is looking for an easy solution and time-saving convenience by picking up the prepared foods. To many’s delights, the mixed-use project’s gourmet Epicure market will include a cafe’ component.
News of the potential Rascal House closure took some longtime patrons by surprise. “I hope it’s not true, and they can keep it open. Every year our friends come down to stay, and they always ask us to take them there,” said Sammie Basile, who said she has frequently gone to the restaurant since she and her husband retired more than 20 years ago from New York. “There is no other place like it down here.” – Miami Sun Post
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