Miami, FL – September 13, 2014 – Amidst Little Havana’s bustling cuban coffee counters, cigar shops and the iconic Domino Park lies a little piece of what once was forgotten history. It has been almost 60 years since the original Ball & Chain opened its doors, and after many years of being vacant it is finally back and better than ever. The Calle Ocho landmark which once attracted the likes of jazz legends such as Billie Holiday and Chet Baker, will be a mirror image, but a little bit more spruced up, of what once was. Adorned with high beam wooden pillars, top of the line cocktail creations, and an outdoor spot for bands to play, Ball & Chain boasts an eclectic, old Florida vibe.

Formally an owner of a waste and recycling business, Zack Bush knew that the opportunity to restore something so historic to Miami would be something he truly couldn’t pass up. After selling his business in 2011, he then paired up with his brother and childhood friend Bill Fuller, and the trio got started on bringing the true history of Ball & Chain back to life.

In between relishing in Saturday night’s success with the friends and family opening and gearing up for the official grand opening, we were able to chat with Zack and hear how he and his partners plan to keep the legacy alive.

WRE: At one point in your life you were throwing weekly events in Miami Beach, has any of that experience attributed to the revamping of Ball & Chain?

ZB: I built my niche and specialized in events thrown at hotels. Given that we are bringing nightlife to Little Havana, the idea was always to offer amazing cocktails, at an amazing venue, with amazing live music and at affordable prices. I feel we really accomplished this. When people walk into Ball & Chain, they are becoming part of something that is historic. They are literally in the same place, the same location that greats like Billie Holiday and Chet Baker once performed at. We are less than one mile away from Brickell Avenue and we believe people are going to be blown away when they see our venue, sip our cocktails, and enjoy our live music.

WRE: Can we expect a similar vibe to the old Ball & Chain? If so, what older aspects are you keeping and what are some newer aspects will you bring to the table?

ZB: Definitely. The original Ball & Chain was an amazing venue for live music– particularly jazz because it was the hot music of the time. While we are definitely going to be featuring jazz, we will also be featuring many great local and national acts as well. We are big on our cocktails and we are big on offering a unique experience; everyone who walks through our doors gets a piece of our history and gets treated like family. We actually have several vintage artifacts in our venue from the original Ball & Chain.

WRE: What are you hoping Ball & Chain will bring to Little Havana?

ZB: Ball & Chain will bring locals to the area that may not know that this hidden gem even exists. The tourists already flock to Little Havana during the day at a level of 3 million per year. So why should the locals not check out our historic and authentic venue at night? Not to mention we are offering South Beach and Brickell quality drinks at Little Havana pricing. We are all about the overall experience, being unique, affordable, and truly welcoming. We feel what we offer will draw everyone in and we are very proud of what we have to offer.

WRE: Do you think Ball & Chain is paving the way for other nightlife spots to flock to the Little Havana Area?

ZB: I think Ball & Chain is truly one of a kind based on our history and our location. I do not think what we offer and the story of our past could ever be duplicated. I do however, welcome all new businesses, bars and nightlife spots included to join us in the area. The more the better and it is only a matter of time before more and more locals flock to the originality and the authenticity that is Little Havana. It is already a favorite among tourists. With the massive explosion going on in Brickell right now it is only natural that some of this starts to move west. We love Little Havana and we love our location because we are so accessible to the Brickell area. People can call an Uber from Brickell and be at Ball & Chain in under 5 minutes, because we are less than 1 mile away!

WRE: We already know the location is unique, what else sets Ball & Chain apart from other nightlife hotspots in Miami?

ZB: We are historic. If our walls could talk the stories would be unreal. We are a part of that history and intend on re-creating the magic that once happened within our walls. We are located across from the world famous Domino Park and right next door to the best ice cream in all of Miami at Azucar. We are very proud to be a part of the rich history of Little Havana. You walk down the streets of Little Havana and you that know you are in a special place. It is truly authentic.

WRE: Tell us a bit about the music and cocktail selection?

ZB: Our cocktail program was created by our local and national celebrity mixologists, Danny Valdez and Julio Cabrera. These are two of the best and most imaginative cantineros the world has ever seen. We are proud to have them stand behind both our cocktail program and our saturday nights; La Pachanga. What is La Pachanga you ask? Stay tuned for the best Cuban-themed Saturday night parties Miami has ever seen.

WRE: Thursday night is the highly anticipated Grand Opening, is there anything we didn’t get to see at the friends and family opening that we can expect during the official grand opening?

ZB: Yes. This weekend, Thursday night is the official opening to the public. At the small friends and family preview our live bands got rained out. This weekend we will have live jazz early every night, Thursday through Saturday inside our venue, beginning around 7:00 pm, followed by our featured acts, which will vary every night beginning around 9:00 or 10:00 pm on our outdoor stage. We are very, very excited for this weekend!

If our walls could talk the stories would be unreal.

Zack Bush

 

Zack Bush

Everyone who walks through our doors gets a piece of our history and gets treated like family.

Zack Bush

Bill Fuller, Zack Bush, & Ben Bush

Brian Elias, Zack & Gina Bush, Philip Levine, & Bill Fuller

We are apart of history and intend on re-creating the magic that once happened within our walls.

Zack Bush

Gina Bush & Nathalie Cadet James

Brian James, Gina & Zack Bush, & Nathalie Cadet James

Rachel Chee A Tow, Moe Garcia, Cheryl Hohweiler, Zack Bush, Navin Chatani, & Lindsay Rider

Bridget Botton, Alexis Geller, Cheryl Hohweiler, Rebecka Keida, & Lindsay Rider

Chad & Joan Love, Krista Karnis, & Bibs

Vicki Labianca, Joan Love, & Gina Bush

Vicki Labianca, Joan Love, & Gina Bush

Maile & Mark Gamez

Giovanna & Ben Bush

Damian Gallo, Zack Bush, & Tatanka Guerrero

Brian Aaron & Ian Kahn

Frank Batlle, Washington Irving, & Susie Batlle

Cleveland Jones & Iva Kosovic

Will & Jackie Jones

Haitian Hillbilly

Haitian Hillbilly & Buffalo Brown

Ramon Perez, Jannelle & Gabe Urrutia

Isabella, Jackie, & Pat Clark

Jeremy La Bianca & Gina Bush

Gina & Zack Bush

Jessie Gilmartin, Zack Bush, & Flavia Molinari

Mayra Rouge & Stuart Gilchrist

Angelique Cosio & Ramon Perez

Hart Bauer & Madeline Marr

GALLERY SLIDER