One of Miami’s most beloved restaurants is permanently closing: ‘Very tough decision’

They’re not going to make it, after all. Four years after re-opening in a new location in the midst of the pandemic, Perricone’s Marketplace & Cafe is shutting its doors.

The last day of service, May 16, will close a long chapter in Miami history.

The original Perricone’s, which opened on Oct. 16, 1996, was one of most popular restaurants in Brickell, long before the area morphed into so called Wall Street South, and one of the hottest neighborhoods on the planet.

“Everyone thought I was crazy,” recalled owner Steven J. Perricone, who bought the lot in 1997 for $775,000. “Friends warned me that I would lose my shirt on this venture. Somehow, in my heart, I knew that a sense of community was growing in Brickell.”

His instincts were spot on. With its charmingly rustic decor and Italian comfort food faves, Perricone’s was the It destination for countless date nights, after-work gatherings and milestone events.

In February 2019, a year after Perricone sold the 11,000-square-foot lot for $16.18 million to citizenM hotels, the local gem closed. But the native New Yorker wasn’t ready to give up the ship.

The forward thinker ended up purchasing a 5,400-square-foot building for a new space in the Roads, at 1700 SW Third Ave., about a half-mile away.

In July 2020, in the height of the pandemic, Perricone’s Marketplace and Café had a rebirth in a new, modern space.

Like the original, it included a large cafe and marketplace, full of cheeses, baked goods and gourmet delicacies, with a full bar and outdoor seating. Perricone managed to save the old wood beams and floors that he got from a Vermont barn built in the 1700s.

But after a few years there, the father of two, reaching a milestone himself — he turns 70 in September — finally decided to wrap things up.

“It was a very, very tough decision, but it was time,” said Perricone. “I thought about retiring during COVID. It did so much to so many people, not just me, but it had been on my mind.”

The Coral Gables resident, who still helps run the award-winning Sullivan Street Bakery in Little Haiti, says regulars have already been notified about the closing.

“They tell me, ‘It sucks for us, but we’re happy for you.’”

Short-term plans include spending more time with his family and basically doing whatever he wants, and when.

“I can pick up and travel and do things spontaneously,” he said. “I was building and maintaining a business, so I’ve said ‘no’ quite a bit over the years. Now I’ve got time.”

Perricone can bow out pleased with his incredible legacy as a pioneer: He took a shot on a town way before everyone and their mother had moved there.

“When I came to Brickell, it was very seasonal, with visitors from out of town,” he recalled. “What has happened now? Well, it just keeps growing. It’s crazy, but amazing.”