My five questions for Jacopo Giustiniani [managing partner at La Centrale]

LA CENTRALE

Location: Brickell City Center

Address: 601 South Miami Ave, Miami FL 33131

Size: 40,000 squared feet

Type: Italian Food Hall

Floors: 3

14 Food Stations, 5 bars, 1 Enoteca + a Cooking School

Managing Partners: Jacopo Giustiniani and Matthias Kiehm

Executive Chef: Vincenzo Scarmiglia

La Centrale Miami || photo by Nadia Bouzid

La Centrale is a new "all-in one" Italian eatery concept located in Brickell City Center. 14 Food Stations, 5 bars, 1 Enoteca + a Cooking School, spread out between 3 floors must not have been an easy project. Jacopo Giustiniani one of the managing parters was kind enough to answer 5 questions I had of his experience in Miami so far: [ read bellow]

1. Was Brickell City Center the first option for La Centrale? (did you approach them, or did they approach you?)

[JACOPO] : Brickell City Centre was our first option for La Centrale in Miami. We were, and continue to be, impressed by Swire’s development vision and Miami’s development momentum. Their team approached us a few years ago and we designed La Centrale based on the footprint of their space.

2. What is it about Miami, that makes it attractive to you and your partners?

[JACOPO] : Miami’s dynamic mix of cultures, sincere appreciation for food, and the strong belief in building community and prioritizing family parallels La Centrale’s brand pillars, so it was a very natural fit for us.

3. Could you describe the competitive landscape for Food Halls and what makes La Centrale different?

[JACOPO] : With the competitive landscape, we are encouraged that there is so much momentum around multi concept eateries both in Miami and across the United States.

We believe our brand offers a full 360 culinary experience, all under a single unified brand. You can eat at one of our 6 full-service concepts or from one of our 8 quick-service grab and go outlets; you can drink from one of our 5 bars, take a cooking class at our cooking and lifestyle studio, shop for over 1500 different specialty Italian retail goods, or be entertained listening to live performances at our music venue Musica dal Vivo.

Further, it was always important for us to create a food hall concept that would make people feel empowered; a place where you controlled the experience, where you could decide if you wanted to spend $2 or $1200. The fact that our space covers over 40,000 square feet across 3 levels, we believe we are able to create a place of belonging for most everyone.

4. In your experience, what would you say about Miami’s permitting process versus New York’s?

[JACOPO] : The complexity and size of our project make this a very unique experience for me. We were fortunate to have the local expertise with Swire Properties during the entirety of the process which certainly made things easier.

5. What are La Centrale’s long term goals for Miami? Do you see an opportunity for wholesaling your own specialties to other local retailers?

[JACOPO] : Above all else, it is important for us to create a place where people feel like they belong and a place that inspires people to love Italian culture and cuisine even more than they already might.

On our roadmap for this year does include launching selection of private label retail products, which will be available cross channel for us both in-store and on our e-commerce platform on our website.

SNAPSHOTS OF MY VISITS TO "LA CENTRALE"

THE CAFFE

First Floor Terrace || Caffé — First Floor Terrace || Caffé

PASTIFICIO

Fresh Pasta Made in-house Daily to take home

The Salad Bar

Build your own bright, beautiful salad with garden greens and farm-fresh ingredients

PIZZA E PASTA

Fresh pastas and wood-fired pizzas served up in a fun, casual setting great for the whole family

THE STAIRS

LIVE MUSIC

DJ will be spinning on Thursdays 7-10 pm and from 8-10pm on Fridays + Saturdays

PESCE

Fresh, expertly prepared seafood using the best of the coastal Italian recipes and techniques. Also includes a full crudo and bollicine bar and a retail counter where you can purchase the day’s catch to cook at home.

Fresh crudo bar and seafood

The Gelateria by Venchi

Italy’s most celebrated gelateria is now at La Centrale, serving up cones and cups of your favorite flavors.

THE MERCATO

The Mercato is located on the first floor, offering quick lunch options, take home meals and specially selected products from Italy for a goodie splurge.