How did you get involved in the hospitality industry?
In 1961, I worked at McDonald’s as a line cook for 85 cents an hour. The highest grossing McDonald’s made $400,000 a year, so I asked my boss for a piece of our location if I made more. The next year we made $440,000. I became one of the largest franchise owners with 16 McDonald’s in South Florida [which were sold in 1975].
In the ’70s and ’80s, I went into the spring break business and launched Penrod’s in Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach before being recruited to help revitalize Miami Beach. Penrod’s Miami Beach eventually became Nikki Beach Miami Beach.
How did you come up with the concept behind the Nikki Beach brand?
The business started nearly 20 years ago as a quiet garden by the sea in Miami Beach. It was called Café Nikki to honor my daughter Nicole, who was killed in a car accident when she was 18. The garden housed a small café, butterfly garden, birds, sunflowers, and trees, creating a Zen-like space for people looking to enjoy and share memories with good friends and family. When Nicole passed away, I didn’t want to mourn her life, I wanted to celebrate her. That’s why our tagline is ‘Celebration of Life.’ Nikki Beach is my daughter’s place.
What projects are you currently working on?
Nikki Beach Barbados is opening at the end of the year. It’s a 1.4-acre beachfront property in Port Ferdinand, our second beach club in the Caribbean. We really feel that our brand can support the [local] economy with job opportunities, and we’ll be working closely with local farmers and fishermen.
Nikki Beach Dubai
Do you have a favorite or standout location?
Each location is special to me for a different reason. Miami and Saint-Tropez were our first locations. They both feel like home for my wife Lucia and I. Our Dubai location [shown] is a resort and spa property and the newest one in our roster.
What is one thing Nikki Beach is known for?
I was once asked how I continue to build my business knowing that I changed the way people party all around the world. I never realized I had made day-partying a new concept until it was pointed out to me. We brought the nighttime vibe to the day, which is a healthier alternative.
