Robert Rivani's Black Lion To Bring Philippe by Philippe Chow To One Ocean In Miami Beach's South of Fifth

New York-based restaurant Philippe by Philippe Chow has signed a 15 year lease to occupy the coveted restaurant space at One Ocean South Beach which was acquired by Robert Rivani’s Black Lion Investment Group in November 2022. With plans to open the flagship outpost in Q2 2024, Abraham Merchant and Richard Cohn are bringing the brand's legacy of sophisticated Beijing-inspired dining to Black Lion’s entire ground floor space at One Ocean in the heart of the South of Fifth neighborhood.

“Landing a legendary restaurant brand with an incredible following is in step with Black Lion’s vision to curate an epicenter for elevated dining and nightlife experiences,” said Robert Rivani. “Philippe by Philippe Chow will deliver a culinary cornerstone unique to the neighborhood and is the perfect fit for its future.”

Philippe by Philippe Chow will occupy 13,500+ square-feet on the corner of South Pointe and Ocean Drive. Attached to multi-million dollar residential condos, the space interiors span 10,000-square-feet with 3,500-square-feet of exteriors. An iconic restaurant for almost two decades, Philippe Chow’s first, and now flagship, location opened in Uptown Manhattan in 2005. Since then, the restaurant remained an undisputed favorite among New York City’s power crowd—including athletes, musicians and film stars—who crave Chef Chow’s interpretation on traditional Chinese cuisine.

Known for his modern, flavorful, and theatrical style, Chef Philippe Chow—the brand’s visionary and namesake—is world-renowned for his lavish, Beijing-style dishes and pioneered the way for fine-dining Chinese cuisine in the U.S.

“The expansion of Philippe Chow to such an iconic location in this taste-making gateway city is a key milestone for the brand both here in the United States and overseas,” says Abraham Merchant, president and CEO of Philippe Chow.

This will be Philippe by Philippe Chow’s southern flagship in the United States, following its Washington DC Wharf outpost opening in April of 2023, along with a downtown Nashville location targeted for a 2024 Q1 opening. In addition to the US expansion, the Middle East expansion continues, in addition to a multi-unit agreement in KSA, a new agreement in Kuwait City has been signed, and discussions are proceeding in Egypt and Dubai.

With nearly two decades of storied history, the Chinese eatery is a carefully crafted offering where substance drives notoriety. Meticulously designed signature dishes are infused with the flavor of Chow’s upbringing and made with the freshest ingredients, including the legendary Peking Duck, carved tableside for an unparalleled experience.

Black Lion was represented by Fabio Faerman and Sebastian Faerman with FA Commercial, while Philippe Chow was represented by Jeremy Modest and Ryan Tucker of RIPCO Real Estate.

“We were thrilled to work with Phillipe Chow to support the company’s expansion to South Florida. The Miami market continues to showcase strength and remains an attractive location for world class operators,” said Jeremy Modest, Executive Managing Director at RIPCO Real Estate. Our goal at RIPCO Florida is to help guide the best tenants New York City has to offer down to Florida by focusing on finding excellent locations and the right Landlord’s to partner with which was demonstrated in our work with Philippe Chow.

Specializing in ownership of flagship restaurant properties, Rivani’s vision for Black Lion’s transformative “Restaurant Row” along South Pointe Drive is now complete, with Philippe by Philippe Chow anchoring One Ocean South Beach, Catch Miami Beach opening at the Continuum high-rise this fall, and Marea Condominium’s multi-restaurant space reaching 100% occupancy with Kosushi Miami, a Brazilian-based Michelin Star restaurant; RED, a locals-favorite steakhouse; and a soon-to-be-announced, world-renowned tenant.

Since 2022, Black Lion has secured over $100 million in acquisitions across South Florida with a rapidly expanding portfolio of restaurant/hospitality properties from Miami Beach to Wynwood, Brickell and Downtown – including the space for Gekko by David Grutman x Bad Bunny; Amara at Paraiso with chef Michael Schwartz; Wynwood Jungle with a newly opened Fable rooftop restaurant; the ground floor of Zaha Hadid’s iconic One Thousand Museum; and Delilah at Brickell Bay boardwalk.

Images via @fordofilmz and Philippe by Philippe Chow

East End Capital & Related Group Secure $136 Million In Refinancing For Wynwood 25 & Wynwood Annex

Partners East End Capital and The Related Group closed on $136 million in financing for its a master-planned, mixed-use developments Wynwood 25 and Wynwood Annex. The financing was provided by Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies and is being used to fully satisfy the construction loans for both projects and return equity to the partners. Completed in June 2019, the nine-story building is already nearly 90% leased.

“This financing is a significant milestone for Wynwood 25 and the Annex as it officially marks the completion of these pioneering Wywnood developments,” said Jonathon Yormak, of East End Capital. “We thank our partners for their support.”

Approximately $110 million of the loan was used for Wynwood 25, Wynwood’s first purpose-built, rental community, which adds 289 rental units ranging from 400 SF studios to three-bedroom apartments to the market. Designed by architect Kobi Karp, with interiors by Meshberg Group, Wynwood 25 features amenities such as a 24/7 concierge, valet parking, electric car charging stations, pet grooming spa, rooftop lounge and kitchen, library with co-working space, state-of-the-art fitness room with virtual spinning studio, and a heated resort-style pool with a sunbathing deck area that looks down on the world-famous Wynwood Walls. Wynwood 25 also features 28,518 SF of retail space, featuring ice cream shop, Salt & Straw, and acclaimed Austin-based Japanese powerhouse, Uchi, expecting to open in the Spring 2020.

“Wynwood 25 and the Annex ushered in a new era for Miami’s most popular neighborhood, and the response from renters, tenants and the Wynwood community has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Jon Paul Perez, executive vice president for Related. “We look forward to continuing to bring these kinds of thoughtfully designed properties to Wynwood as it grows and evolves.”

Nearly $26 million of the refinancing loan was utilized for The Wynwood Annex, the second component of the mixed-use development. The Annex is a 60,000 SF, Class-A office building, geared towards TAMI tenants, such as Live Nation, that has already moved into its full floor space at the building. The Annex boasts loft-like office space with soaring ceilings and private outdoor space, individually sized floor plans, and on-site parking. Other features include a 4,429 SF ground-floor retail component as well as a communal rooftop terrace with outdoor seating.

Apartment leasing at Wynwood 25 is being managed by The Related Group. Retail leasing at Wynwood 25 and Wynwood Annex is being handled by Richard Skulnik at RIPCO. Office leasing at Wynwood Annex is led by the team of Gordon Messinger and Ericka Witkowski of Cushman & Wakefield.