David Grutman is a globally renowned innovator and entrepreneur in the hospitality field. In particular, he is known for creating immersive experiential venues with distinct atmospheres, blending high energy and transportive luxury across a one-of-a-kind portfolio of restaurants, hotels, bars, and nightclubs.
Grutman—himself a native Floridian—has built his name in the Miami area, where his firm, Groot Hospitality, owns and operates the restaurants Komodo, Swan, Bar Bevy, OTL, Papi Steak, and Strawberry Moon; the nightclubs LIV at Fontainebleu and Story; The Goodtime Hotel, and the soon-to-open Firestone—a multi-venue Miami Beach location featuring the eateries Winker’s, Toothfairy, and Sushi Fly Chicken.
These sites are influential in their own rights. Yet it’s their combined contribution to the region’s overall hospitality roster that places them on the leading edge: Miami and Miami Beach have long been known for their extensive food, beverage, and hotel offerings, but Grutman has helped to usher in a new paradigm. In essence, he has recemented the Miami area as a contemporary hotspot by imagining dining, hospitality, and nightlife through a lens of lavish design, in-demand talent, a frisson of celebrity, social media moments, and, most importantly, escapist fun. Recognizing the global appeal of this formula, Grutman will soon expand his vision, with anticipated openings across North America to the Middle East.
In 2008, Grutman opened the nightclub LIV at Fontainebleu after garnering wide acclaim for his prior work in founding the Miami Marketing Group (which specialized in seamlessly merging the fields of nightlife and entertainment). The Fontainebleu had just undergone an extensive renovation by the Soffer family, and it needed an anchor afterhours attraction. Immediately, LIV garnered worldwide buzz and a celebrity clientele, which it has continued to sustain over the past decade. LIV is especially famous for its Sunday night crowd, which attracts world-famous athletes celebrating their championship wins, musicians’ release parties, and movie stars whenever they’re in town. The 18,000 square foot venue remains one of the highest grossing nightclubs in the United States.
Following the success of LIV, Grutman opened another nightclub, Story, in 2013. In 2015, he entered the dining space with the launch of Komodo, a 300-seat, ultra-popular restaurant located in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood. With his increasingly proven track record, Grutman then partnered with The Smile (out of New York City) to create OTL, a neighborhood café in Miami’s ascendant Design District.
Grutman solidified his leading position within the hospitality business with what came next: the opening of Swan and Bar Bevy, also in the Design District, for which he partnered with the multi-hyphenate talent Pharrell Williams. Swan has become a top-tier contender in the region’s restaurant scene, mixing luxuriant decor with contemporary fare, along with an inimitable bar scene. Swan draws an A-list international crowd, in large part due to Grutman’s gregarious and hospitable nature. Put simply, he is the ultimate host.
In 2021, he and Pharrell Williams again partnered on a new endeavor: The Goodtime Hotel, which marks Grutman’s first enterprise in the hotel industry. The 266-room Goodtime, that opened in April 2021, is also home to Strawberry Moon, a restaurant and pool club that promises a tropical trinity of exceptional food, exceptional drink and an exceptional time.
Grutman and Groot Hospitality are working on a number of new projects slated to open in both 2021 and 2022. Information will be updated here as it becomes available.
Outside of hospitality, Grutman also pursues additional business and personal interests. He is the creative director and co-owner of Prince, the athletics and lifestyle company. Additionally, Grutman teaches a guest class at Florida International University called “The Dave Grutman Experience.” The seminar focuses on what it takes to conceptualize and create a leading hospitality platform.
Grutman is an avid tennis player, hitting the courts seven days a week. He is also passionate about fitness, and enjoys vacationing with his wife, Isabela, and two daughters Kaia and Vida, at their residence at the Amanyara in Turks & Caicos or in Isabela’s home country of Brazil. He and his family live in Downtown Miami.
