After Nearly 30 Years in Business, Perricone’s is Closing

Perricone’s Marketplace & Café, the restaurant that had people flocking to Brickell when it was merely a street and not a city-within-a-city, is closing after 27 years in business. The restaurant, owned by Steve Perricone, was known for its family-friendly atmosphere, and it announced the news on May 3, stating that the last day of operation would be May 16.

The restaurant opened its original location on October 16, 1996, in Brickell, across from a city park. That gave Perricone, a Brooklyn native, the inspiration to bring a touch of Central Park’s famed Tavern on the Green to Miami. The original restaurant felt more like a house than a restaurant – with guests walking through a market to arrive at the enchanting little dining room beyond.

While Brickell is now considered Miami’s most bustling neighborhood, Perricone was warned against opening a restaurant in that part of town at the time. “I was told in ‘96 that I was crazy to open in Brickell,” Perricone tells Eater Miami. He recalls a much different Brickell back then before the high rises took over. “We had chickens in the parking lot, and the staff had a nickname for their favorite one – I can’t recall the name. But we loved her.”

Perricone saw Brickell grow into a big city, and for years, developers rang up Perricone with offers to buy the little restaurant on what had become a lucrative piece of land. Perricone turned down the offers one by one until, in 2018, he agreed to sell. “It was hard for me to sell that location, but when I look back, I know it was the right time,” he says.

In 2020, amidst a global pandemic, Perricone reopened the cafe and market in West Brickell. Navigating the openings, the closings, and the regulations proved difficult. “I thought about closing then, and I didn’t, obviously,” he confides. Perricone didn’t, and the restaurant gained its traction, becoming a popular after-work or brunch spot for Brickell’s thriving community.

Having navigated through COVID, Perricone decided to close his iconic restaurant for a more important reason: Perricone, who is turning 70 this year, wants to enjoy the fruits of his labors. “I’m going to have a milestone birthday this year, and I really want to spend more time with my family.”

The restaurateur says it’s time to catch up on his daughters’ equestrian competitions and spend time with his wife. “There’s a lot that I missed, but I don’t regret it. I was trying to build and maintain a business, and my wife is understanding, but I want to try to be present a little more as my children grow before my eyes. If I don’t do it now, when will I do it?” Perricone, who also owns Sullivan Street Bakery, says he plans on spending some time there to stay in the game.

He says that the hardest part of closing his restaurant is saying goodbye to longtime customers and his staff – some of whom have been with him for 20 years or more. “There were a lot of tears when I told them. But I missed an awful lot with my family, and they understand the reasoning because they’ve seen me do it. It’s tough.” Perricone said he’s helping as many of his staff find a new place to land – and some have been there so long, they’ve opted to retire.

In the end, the restaurateur says he fulfilled his dream of owning a restaurant where families can enjoy a good meal in a friendly setting. “I was born in New York and grew up in Bensonhurst. When you went to a restaurant, the people knew who you were and treated you like you were at home. We treated the staff with a lof of respect and they treated the guests with the same respect. I’ve been fortunate enough to have that dream come true.”

Perricone said he’ll miss those regulars who became like family. People who came in for a first date and wound up raising their families over plates of penne. “One frequent guest told me, ‘It sucks for us but it’s great for you’. You get a little choked up after hearing that. But it just reconfirms that it’s the right time.”

If you want one last “World Famous” chicken salad or a bowl of Bolognese, you have until Thursday, May 16th, when Perricone’s closes its doors for good.

Perricone’s is located at 1700 SW Third Ave., Miami, 305-374-9449; perricones.com