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 over a decade ago and has since expanded to downtown L.A., Jersey City and beyond. Opened in the spring of 2022, Smorgasburg Miami has joined the list of locations where folks can find the country’s largest weekly open-air food market.
Gaston Becherano Cohen, owner of the 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. “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.
Initial homegrown vendors of Smorgasburg Miami, including Ted's Burgers, Drinking Pig BBQ and Eleventh Street Pizza, have since gone on to garner massive acclaim, landing on multiple lists of the city's best burgers, barbecue and pizza, respectively. Aside from incubating local culinary talent, Smorgasburg Miami also hosts themed events and street food festivals, like a giant Fourth of July cookout, a Chinese New Year lantern festival and after-dark Art Basel parties, among others.
