Eventually, most cool things find their way to Miami—but not before succeeding in New York City and Los Angeles first. Such is the case for Smorgasburg, the famous outdoor food market that started in Williamsburg 10 years ago and has since expanded to downtown L.A., Jersey City and beyond. Next spring, Miami will join the list of locations folks can find the country’s largest weekly open-air food market.
Smorgasburg Miami (2612 NW Second Ave) is slated to open in March 2022 in Wynwood, where it’ll sprawl some 50,000 square feet next door to the Wynwood Walls. It’ll open on Saturdays from 11am to 6pm and host about 60 food vendors and 10 retail shops. The market will offer picnic tables as well as a center bar with plenty of additional seating should you want to skip the shopping altogether.
Gaston Becherano Cohen, owner of hospitality group Omotenashi, is at the helm of Miami’s outpost. Becherano Cohen became acquainted with Smorgasburg while a vendor at the NYC location with his business Bonsai, a Japanese shaved-ice concept he eventually expanded to a brick-and-mortar in the Lower East Side. Most recently, the Miami native launched the Aventura Gardens Market, a quaint farmers’ market at the intersection of Miami Gardens and Aventura. Just as he’s done there, Becherano Cohen endeavors to provide a sort of safety net for entrepreneurs to test concepts and launch new ideas. “We are bringing Smorgasburg to Miami to provide the right spotlight and conditions for these vendors to flourish and grow and to build a market that represents the talent and diversity of the South Florida food scene. At its core, Smorgasburg allows vendors to launch their own successful food concept without having to take the risk and undergo the headaches associated with opening up a brick and mortar,” he says.
The list of confirmed vendors for Smorgasburg Miami is small but almost entirely homegrown, including Ted's Burgers, Drinking Pig BBQ, Sandwiches from Eleventh Street Pizza, the Sister Yard, El Diner Latino by the team behind La Natural, and the Maiz Project. Bona Bona Ice Cream is the only vendor making the move from NYC to Miami.
Becherano Cohen is still searching for talent to round out the list, and interested applicants are encouraged to submit an application here.