WGM: Sunset Harbor Upgrade, Miami's Best Bars, & Mary Lou’s Drinks it's own Kool-Aid

Whole Foods lands in Sunset Harbor, Miami’s bars hit the world stage, and a buzzy startup learns numbers still matter.

Sunset Harbor just got its biggest upgrade in years, Miami’s nightlife is officially export-worthy, and one overcaffeinated brand just learned that press hits don’t equal profit. From retail moves to recognition and a crash course in financial literacy—here’s what’s good this week.

Plus: new spots to eat, drink, and keep in your back pocket for when someone asks, “What’s good?”

Let’s get into it.

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BEACH BUSINESS:

Whole Foods Comes to Sunset Harbor

Sunset Harbor is getting its most transformative upgrade in years. Crescent Heights has officially kicked off permitting for a $39.8M mixed-use project at 1901 Alton Road directly across from Pura Vida, replacing the current Wells Fargo building with a sleek, four-story development designed for modern Miami life. The centerpiece? A 34,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market with a mezzanine for café seating and offices, making it a new anchor of daily luxury in an already walkable, high-value neighborhood. SH is now officially oversupplied with grocery stores with a Fresh Market, Publix, Trader Joes, and now Whole Foods.

But it’s not just about groceries. The building will include three levels of parking (277 spaces total, well over the city requirement), ensuring convenience without compromising density. It’s a move that will likely reshape pedestrian traffic, neighborhood flow, and adjacent retail values in one of the city’s most affluent zones.

Palm Tree Crew Invests in Mary Lou’s

Palm Tree Crew, Kygo’s culture-first lifestyle brand and hospitality company, made a strategic investment in Mary Lou’s, a Palm Beach concept that received a lot of buzz this winter (even though its a freestanding bar and former bait shop in a strip mall) and is already eyeing the Hamptons for what’s sure to be busy two days a week for less than 16 weeks. Through a new holding company with Mama Hospitality (Mary Lou’s creators), they’re planning aggressive expansion and IP development.

It’s the kind of move that signals a distinct misunderstanding of the history of nightlife.

To quote Ian Schrager (who also notably was not able to expand Studio 54) - “With a nightclub, you have no real discernible product. You have the same music and the same alcohol as everybody else, and yet you have to create magic night after night in hopes of distinguishing yourself.” The goal of the acquisition is to create an “iconic, scalable hospitality brand rooted in storytelling, late-night magic, and an ultra-curated aesthetic that feels both intimate and cinematic.” How can you consistently do that in multiple geographies with no real discernible product? The only answer for the last half century has been casinos or mega hotels with pre-existing built in demand. Not sure why Mary Lou’s IP or operations help PTC. There are a bunch of smart and successful people involved - I am sure they see something I am missing.

Miami Real Estate. Bogotá Leads the Cities. China Leads the Countries.

Miami’s international appeal just reached a new level of intensity. For the first time ever, China is the leading country searching for South Florida real estate, unseating Colombia, which has long held the top spot. The shift reflects broader global interest in Miami as not just a U.S. lifestyle hub—but a global capital of cross-border investment.

Meanwhile, Bogotá, Colombia, remains the top city in the world for users searching Miami properties. The rest of the top 10 includes cities like Caracas, Dublin, and Toronto—highlighting just how widespread this obsession has become. South Florida now accounts for 10% of all international home sales in the U.S., and one in five international buyers in the U.S. is buying in Florida. In other words, Miami’s no longer just hot—it’s hemispheric.

Sign of the Times: “30 Under 30” Startup Roami Files for Bankruptcy

Proof that paying a public relations agency isn’t business traction: Miami-based short-term rental startup Roami, formerly Sextant Stays (WTF?), has filed for Chapter 11 after raising nearly $30M and the founders being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2021.

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HOSPITALITY: LOCAL INSIDER

THE BEST BARS IN MIAMI (ACCORDING TO TALES OF THE COCKTAIL)

From monster-themed lounges in Little River to Champagne-soaked hotel bars in Surfside, local spots are racking up nominations this year from their industry peers with multiple nominations for this year’s Tales of the Cocktail.

Here’s who’s putting put on global bar map right now: