Dale! Pitbull To Open Restaurant on Ocean Drive

By: Ismael Rodriguez

Pitbull has become the latest celebrity to lease a space in one of the renowned Nakash family hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.

The Miami native and international rap star is bringing a slice of his Cuban heritage by opening a restaurant called “iLov 305“ in the former Bon Air Hotel at 1060 Ocean Drive, according what Nakash attorney Alfredo Gonzalez told the press.

The news came during this week’s Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board meeting, during which Gonzalez voiced that an affiliate of Pitbull had signed a lease with Nakash Strand LLC.

“It will be a full service restaurant and bar,” Gonzalez told the press. “This project will be activating the corner of 10th Street and Ocean, which has been very quiet.”

During the meeting, the board also proceeded to vote unanimously in favor of Nakash Strand’s application to restore the lobby and outdated façade to its original 1934 design.

After the renovations, the lobby will feature a cocktail lounge, a seating area and a daiquiri bar. The new restaurant, iLov 305, along with the kitchen, will extend down to the basement level. The basement has been vacant since the Mediterranean Revival style building was last renovated in 2004.

The Nakashes, who turned their Jordashe Jeans into a global real estate conglomerate, bought the hotel’s ground floor space for $18.3 million in 2012. They also own the Hotel Victor and The Villa Casa Casuarina, both in Ocean Drive.

Pitbull joins other Cuban-American music artists like Emilio and Gloria Estefan in being the only celebrity restaurant owners on Ocean Drive.