This Gables restaurant was a step ahead of every dining trend; now it’s closing
Point to every major food trend that defined the last decade and you could find it at The Local in Coral Gables.
In that time, the restaurant gave Miami its first self-titled gastropub, a place where good food and good beer elevated a typical bar. But after 10 years, the restaurant is calling it quits.
The Local posted on Instagram that it would close on June 19. The owners wrote that a new project is in the works and would open in a new location, possibly in the Fall.
“We would like to thank all of you who have been loyal customers and friends of The Local. We are grateful for the many wonderful memories and great moments which were created in The Local,” an Instagram post read.
A new landlord who inherited The Local’s lease, Jose “Pepe” Ortega, said he tried to work with the owners to stay when their lease came up. He said there was no rent increase and the owners decided not to renew.
“It’s definitely not a ‘we’re doubling the rent’ situation,” Ortega said. “All our tenants are our business partners. So you have to try to help them out. It just didn’t work out. We’re not happy to see them go.”
Trends move so fast and Miami changes so quickly that it’s easy to forget how ground-breaking The
Local was. In a way, it followed in the footsteps of the Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, which revitalized the Design District. The same could be said for what The Local did for Giralda Avenue.
It separated itself from The Bar, which catered to the local college crowd. And it did so by bringing in the hippest food trends. It was the first local restaurant to offer more than 20 different craft beers, from around the state and the country. Crispy pig ear ribbons to snack on. Charcuterie boards with housemade pickles and pate.
And being in South Florida, it added a local flavor. The opening chef Alberto Cabrera, now the executive at Brickell’s Marabú, brought in a Cuban-American flavor to the gastropub, with housemade Cuban crackers with Southern style pimento cheese and an upscale take on a frita Cuban hamburger.
The original owner was José Malléa, a former political operative who helped lead the craft beer rise in Miami. He sold the business to his sister, Carmen Mallea, who runs it to this day. Mallea went on to open Biscayne Bay Brewing in Doral.
“We wanted to keep it as a local spot for our neighbors,” Carmen Malléa said. “It was a place you could go dressed up and it was a place you could go dressed casual. It was anything you wanted it to be.”
Even after Cabrera left, The Local’s kitchen and offerings of artisanal beers brought a distinct feel. It sprouted new chefs who went on to lead larger restaurants, including Andrew Gilbert who opened Seven Dials, Phil Bryant of Swine and Michael Beltran of Ariete.
But food trends changed. Out, eventually, went the pork belly dishes, Brussels sprouts and bacon. And the crowds moved on.
Even Giralda changed, with the road closing as part of a $24 million streetscape project that turned it into a plaza. New restaurants moved in. During the pandemic, diners rediscovered Giralda, as it became a venue for outdoor dining. That brought more competition that eventually spelled the end for The Local.