Grand Opening of Rum Room and Venu at the Miami Beach Convention Center

MIAMI BEACH, FL – The Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) is pleased to announce the grand opening of the highly anticipated restaurant and event space: Rum Room and Venu, to the public on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Jointly managed and operated by hospitality partner Sodexo Live! and leading full-service venue management company OVG360, these exciting Miami hotspots are sure to impress guests and event planners with their historic location, modern twist on Florida and Miami cuisine, custom menus, best-in-class service, and Collins Canal views.

The prized jewel of MBCC dining, Rum Room is a combined indoor and outdoor 80-seat restaurant with Old World and tropical 1920s Florida decor and an upscale menu that draws on Florida’s history and Miami’s Haitian, Latin, and Central American influences. Led by Sodexo Live!’s Executive Chef Samantha Cruz – who has 12 years of experience in fine dining and sports entertainment hospitality – dishes are made with indigenous Florida ingredients like local corn, Florida River Gold potatoes, and other produce or spices found in Redlands farms and farmers markets, as well as typical Spanish ingredients like beans and sofrito, a byproduct of Spaniards passing through Miami Beach in the early 20th century. Also drawing on history, cocktails will feature classic rum cocktails with modern tastes, a large selection of local and imported rums, and many other favorite spirits.

Guests can pair those rum cocktails with inspired menu highlights like jamón Serrano croquetas and black truffle corn tamales that are cut and plated tableside. “This next chapter of the MBCC and its amazing campus reimagination will further enhance the guest experience of dining and events in Miami Beach,” says Freddie Peterson, General Manager of the Miami Beach Convention Center. “This fantastic restaurant and private event spaces will allow flexibility in our food and beverage offerings to the neighborhood, our clients, and the public. We have already built a strong reputation for unique, exquisite, and dynamic food and drink offerings. However, matching that to these historic Miami Beach buildings takes us to a whole new level. We are constantly building upon memorable experiences for our guests and clients. Congrats to our teams, but especially our wonderful partner Sodexo Live!.”

Rum Room will be open for lunch and dinner and launch a Sunday brunch in spring 2023. It is poised to be the new power lunch restaurant in Miami Beach due to its proximity to the Chamber of Commerce and Central City Official buildings and an excellent spot for a festive happy hour or a romantic date night. Parking and valet are available onsite.

“We’re thrilled to take our longstanding partnership with the Miami Beach Convention Center to new heights with the opening of Rum Room and Venu,” said Danny Medina, Regional Vice President, Sodexo Live!. “As the experts in creating unforgettable moments, we’re looking forward to helping guests make everything from a business lunch to life’s biggest celebrations memorable in a unique new way.”

Venu occupying what was formerly the 1916-built Miami Beach Municipal Golf Course Clubhouse, Venu is an intimate event space and bar designed to be a favored destination for elegant private events and upscale VIP events as part of the MBCC’s convention offerings, cocktail parties, business meetings, weddings, bat or bar mitzvahs, and more. Erected just one year after the City of Miami Beach was incorporated, this legendary building is one of the oldest public buildings in Miami Beach. The City of Miami Beach purchased it in 1983, approved an over $3.2 million interior and exterior renovation in 2018, and has now turned the historic landmark into a sophisticated haunt with custom menus that include handcrafted rum cocktails, flavorful tapas and family-style plates of whole fish, steak, chicken and specially-created sides. Able to host a flexible indoor-outdoor configuration of up to 200 guests, Venu was designed in the spirit of the 1920s and 1930s, an ode to the days of Al Capone and speakeasies on Miami Beach. Guests of MBCC events will enjoy world-class cuisine served on vintage plates in dim lighting, with direct views of Collins Canal. When not used by the MBCC, the general public can indulge in a Sunday brunch on holidays like Mother's Day, Father’s Day, Easter, New Year’s Eve, and more. “When visitors dine at Rum Room or Venu, I want them to know that Miami is the place to be and something to see and taste,” says Cruz, a prior Chef de Cuisine at PLANTA in Miami Beach and leading chef at events like Super Bowl LIV, Miami Open, and Art Basel Miami Beach.“There’s so much diversity, influence, and flavor here, and we’ve created menus that allow guests to experience it with every bite.”

The MBCC is located at 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139. Rum Room is on the northeast corner of the MBCC Campus Center, where Washington Avenue meets Dade Boulevard. Venu is located in the 1916-built former Miami Beach Municipal Golf Course Clubhouse at 2100 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information and reservations, visit the website https://www.rumroommiamibeach.com/ or social media @therumroommiamibeach. 

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