Of all the things you’d expect to find at a food hall, we’re sure a tattoo parlor is the last thing on your mind. But Time Out Market Miami isn’t just any food hall—ours is a food-and-culture destination that taps into the soul of the city. It’s a place where you can sit back and relax, try all kinds of different cuisines and, if you’re lucky, go home with a permanent reminder of your experience.
You might’ve seen Jefferson Soto at our big summer party last July when we brought the multidisciplinary artist for a one-day pop-up, doling out adorable food tats for anyone who dared. So many of you loved the mini tattoos that we decided to bring Soto back every weekend this summer. Now through the end of August, you can find the Venezuelan-born painter and tattooist doing his thing in one of our Love Local stations, which he’s decked out with some of his paintings and merchandise emblazoned with his original artwork.
Soto, who owns a studio in Miami’s Buena Vista neighborhood, has been thinking about doing a pop-up of this kind since his trip to New York City’s Chelsea Market, where he got tattooed between meals. “As a tattoo artist, we always want fresh ink on our bodies and so when I saw the opportunity [at the Chelsea Market] it was like a traffic stop for me. I thought, ‘let’s get something to eat and get tattooed’,” says Soto, who’s seen a steady flow of customers since he launched the pop-up.
Service is first-come, first-served, which could mean long wait times for late-arriving customers but he assures that everyone is thrilled to hang around. “I had a couple of people show up who’d never been to the Market and they were so happy to wait—they got drunk,” says Soto, with a laugh. In case you’re wondering, the pair did end the night with fresh tats. Once you’ve added your name to the list, one of Soto’s apprentices will guide you through the process and help pick a design from the book. “We try to keep them small so that everyone can have a turn, and so far it’s been great.”
Thinking about getting a tattoo at Time Out Market Miami? Stop in on Thursdays and Fridays from 4pm to 9pm and Saturdays from noon to 8pm, and be prepared to wait your turn. But you shouldn’t worry about a delay—there’s nothing like having a space with multiple bars and eateries as your waiting room.
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