Miami Beach, FL – August 12, 2016 – For those who may not know, Brickell’s Sidebar and Baby Jane, along with Coconut Grove’s Ariete, all have something in common, and no we aren’t just referring to them being some of the best hangouts in town. They all have the magic touch of Miami native Jason Odio. Using his knowledge from his early years working in the industry, Odio has grown to develop three one-of-a-kind spots that each bring something distinctive and refreshing that is now shaking up the Miami nightlife and restaurant scene.

Odio began working in the nightclub industry before graduating from high school, let alone before he could even purchase alcohol. At 16 when most teens are barely driving, Odio was hosting summer high school nights at a club in downtown, getting an early taste of nightlife. His craving for the scene only got bigger, and at 18 he began what became a 12-year tenure with the legendary Opium Group at a time when Opium and Prive were its only establishments.

At Opium Group, Odio wore multiple hats, from promoting and running his own teams to production and bookings to operations and marketing. After a decade of several successful club openings (Mokai, Set, Louis, Mansion) under his entertainment belt and having learned all facets of the business, Odio decided to take his talents off the beach and in 2014 he opened Sidebar in Brickell. No velvet ropes, fresh local acts, and exciting programming (think Bounce House Sundays, Karaoke Wednesday, and Ladies/Ice Cream Thursdays) has quickly made the indoor/outdoor bar and lounge an unpretentious, yet cool hot spot with a constant line to get in on the fun. The kind of guy who eats out three times a day, Odio took his experience of showing people a good time in a natural progression when, after reconnecting with high school friend and former Cypress Room sous chef and Norman Van Aken protégé Michael Beltran, the two joined forces and opened Ariete in Coconut Grove. A ‘Grovite’ himself, Odio is thrilled to be contributing to the Grove’s renaissance and bringing a neighborhood restaurant and bar to the area he grew up in. Never one to settle and with Ariete fresh off its January 2016 opening, Odio is already hard at work on his next concept: Baby Jane Cocktail House and Eatery in Brickell.

World Red Eye caught up with Odio and his trusted side kicks Roman Jones, Chef Michael Beltran, and Raul Sanchez, who gave us a closer look into what it’s like running three different hotspots and what makes each of them so unique.

Baby Jane

WRE: How did you get your start in the restaurant/entertainment industry?

JO: Roman Jones allowed me to promote a high school night when I was 16 at the The Living Room Downtown. I think he saw the potential in me at a young age. From there, he gave me an opportunity to work for him full time when I was of age. I dove in head first and tried to learn the ins and outs of the club and hospitality business. I was fortunate to grow my network of friends and clients through my 10 year run at The Opium Group clubs Mansion, Mokai, SET, Louis, Opium Garden and Prive which I like to call The Roman Jones University of Hospitality.

I didn’t want to be stereotyped as only a nightlife guy, so I knew the culinary industry would be perfect for my trajectory.

Jason Odio, Co-Founder of Sidebar, Ariete, & Baby Jane

WRE: You have three spots thriving right now (Sidebar, Ariete, & Baby Jane), what differentiates each spot from one another?

JO: All three places are very different, but also complement each other. Sidebar, my first, will always be my baby. It was one of those situations that was the “right time, right place.” Nightlife in Miami was in at a critical place and people were looking for something different or with more substance. It serves as an unpretentious, fun, laid back place to hear good music and have drinks. Ariete, my second, was something I really wanted to do. I didn’t want to be stereotyped as only a nightlife guy, so I knew the culinary industry would be perfect for my trajectory. It’s something I’m very passionate about and as a consumer I enjoy it a lot. Again, I think Ariete was the right timing and place like Sidebar, with a different concept of tasty quality food by Chef Beltran and the location of Coconut Grove. Last, but not least, we opened Baby Jane and I feel if Sidebar and Ariete had a child it would be Baby Jane. It’s the best of both worlds in an elevated, cozy space.

WRE: How did you and Roman Jones come up with Baby Jane?

JO: We noticed the neighborhood needed a place that catered to the residents of Brickell. Baby Jane is surrounded by a bunch of great fine dining restaurants so the concept of a place where people can have the same level of quality, frequent more often, and good music with an amazing cocktail selection made sense.

WRE: Describe the vibe of Baby Jane?

JO: Cozy cocktail bar with great music, locals and food.

WRE: What is unique about Baby Jane that guests can’t experience anywhere else in Miami?

JO: The aesthetics definitely set it apart with a focus to detail and texture in a small space. I also think people are pleasantly surprised when they try the food. Most people just expect it to be just a bar.

WRE: What makes this different than your typical restaurant?

JO: I would say Baby Jane is more of a hangout place with great cocktails and food more than a restaurant. Sure, you can grab a quick lunch, but I think the people who enjoy it the most are those who hangout for a couple of hours while trying different drinks and casually munching on our elevated pub fare.

WRE: Baby Jane is switching up the typical dining experience by offering “Unplugged” Lunch. Can you tell us how you came up with this and why?

JO: I think people are making more of an effort to enjoy the company they’re with versus being on their phone. We just wanted to help create that awareness and provide a little fun while people are having lunch with us.

WRE: How did you come up with the name Baby Jane?

JO: Baby Jane was an indecisive moment but I knew I wanted it to be a female’s name and Jane was on my long list. Roman said, “Why not Baby Jane like the Bettie Davis movie and Andy Warhol’s muse.” I love the blend of nostalgia and art, so as soon as he said that I knew we had the name.

WRE: What is the hardest part about opening up a new spot?

JO: Prioritizing all of the moving parts.

WRE: How does this Baby Jane differ from other successful restaurant and nightlife ventures you have been apart of?

RJ: It’s my first venture outside of Miami Beach and Brickell is bustling like New York. There is a real city vibe and Baby Jane is a little escape within that jungle.

WRE: What do you think is the key ingredient into keeping an establishment open and successful?

RJ: Obviously passion and hard work, but listening to your clients and what they want keeps it going.

Baby Jane is made for the locals, but cool and unique enough to introduce to your tourist friends.

Roman Jones, Co-Founder of Baby Jane

Ariete

WRE: Tell us how you joined together with Chef Beltran to create Ariete?

JO: Mike and I have been friends since our younger days at Columbus High School. I reconnected with him when he coincidentally rented my Dad’s apartment. My Dad told me he was working at Cypress Room which excited me because of how much I respected what Cypress Room was doing. I always knew I wanted to open a restaurant and when I reconnected with him this was my chance to do something with someone that shared the same ideologies. He also knew how to cook!

WRE: Describe the vibe of Ariete.

MB: Ariete is elegant and simple with some serious Miami influence. Ariete has the table setting of a fine dining establishment while in the background you’ll hear Outkast’s “SpotttieOuttieDopalicious.” We want people to feel comfortable and have fun, that’s our mission. We always said “If there is music playing, wine glasses clanking, and laughter, that means we are doing our job well.”

Our partnership is great because we trust each other in our respective roles. He shares ideas and always asks me to try things.

Jason Odio, Co-Founder of Sidebar, Ariete, & Baby Jane

WRE: How closely do you work with Chef Beltran to curate the menu? Who comes up with the dishes?

JO: Our partnership is great because we trust each other in our respective roles. He shares ideas and always asks me to try things. I give him my honest opinion but he ultimately has full control of the menu.

WRE: If you had to choose favorites, what are some of your favorite dishes on the menu?

JO: Oh man – as stated prior, I’m indecisive. However, if I really must pick a favorite I would go with the chicken liver mouse, the bone marrow butter grilled oysters, the foie gras and/or the short rib.

WRE: What made you choose Coconut Grove as the location?

JO: Originally I was trying to open in Little Havana as I loved the idea of introducing New American cuisine in a historic, emerging neighbor that is predominately Latin. Even though I think Little Havana has a couple more years to go, I wanted to get in early and be apart of the renaissance. Then some of my family introduced me to the current space and I had a great feeling about it. I also grew up in the grove so for me it was a no brainer. Now we’re a part of the Grove’s resurgence.

WRE: Do you have plans to bring Ariete to any other city/location?

JO: Eventually, my ambitions will get the best of me. Since traveling is one of my favorite things to do if I have an opportunity to open a second Ariete, I will.

WRE: What goes into creating a well-rounded menu?

MB: Our menu is an interesting read, I think that it’s really about appealing to your guests’ mood. From really adventurous menu items and beautifully executed classic items, to smaller snack items and larger Sunday supper style portions, a big part of it is being able to cater to your guest on any given day.

WRE: How do you come up with the name for Ariete?

JO: Ariete was on a list of names because it was a restaurant Chef Mike’s family worked at in Cuba. We narrowed it down to Ariete because Chef Mike and myself each loved one of the two meanings; one is (medieval) battering ram and the other was lord of the manor.

Ariete has the table setting of a fine dining establishment while in the background you’ll hear Outkast’s “SpotttieOuttieDopalicious.”

Chef Michael Beltran, Co-Founder of Ariete

Sidebar

WRE: Tell us how you linked up with Raul Sanchez to create Sidebar?

JO: Raul was first of mind the moment I saw Sidebar. I knew he had experience running a place from his time at Bar Downtown. I also knew the place needed authenticity and Raul’s love for art, music, and Miami aided in the overall culture of Sidebar.

WRE: What kind of crowd do you/are you wanting to draw in?

JO: Its actually the craziest mix of people. We don’t really draw in on specific type of person and a lot of people that like hip hop who don’t want to deal with the hassles of South Beach are regulars.

Sidebar, my first, will always be my baby. It was one of those situations that was the ‘right time, right place.’

Jason Odio, Co-Founder of Sidebar, Ariete, & Baby Jane

WRE: Describe the vibe of Sidebar.

RS: It’s laid back and local with a good mix of people, casual vibe, and good music.

WRE: Favorite memory from Sidebar thus far?

RS: Well it’s close tie between two memories. We hosted Foreigner’s Mick Jones Birthday at Sidebar where Mark Ronson DJ’d during the party. The other one would be when ASAP mob performed along with ASAP Ferg’s Adidas show Release Party.

WRE: How do you come up with the name for Sidebar?

JO: Sidebar, my first, will always be my baby. It was one of those situations that was the ‘right time, right place.’ Nightlife in Miami was at a critical place and people were looking for something different or with more substance. It serves as an unpretentious, fun, laid back place to hear good music and have drinks.

WRE: What made you chose Brickell as the location in comparison to other hotspots like South Beach or Wynwood?

JO: To be honest, my Dad took me to see the space because he was working with the guys that owned it. I automatically had a good feeling for it and the location. I’ve lived a block away for almost 7 years now and I knew we could offer a different yet complementary concept to the area.

WRE: Favorite memory from Sidebar thus far?

JO: I have a lot, some of which are a bit blurry but the one that trumps all of them is our opening night. I couldn’t believe that many people actually came to something I worked my ass off to open. I was also in shock that we were able to pull it off. I was completely shooting from the hip while keeping a straight face. I learned so much quickly.

WRE: Sidebar has a lot of weekly parties including Cherry Pop, Ice Cream Thursdays and Karaoke Wednesdays, what’s the idea behind these?

JO: We wanted to offer something unique every night to keep it fresh with strong programming and activities.

Nightlife in Miami was at a critical place and people were looking for something different or with more substance. Sidebar serves as an unpretentious, fun, laid back place to hear good music and have drinks.

Jason Odio, Co-Founder of Sidebar, Ariete, & Baby Jane

WRE: What do you think it is that continues to make Miami nightlife so successful? 

JO: Miami nightlife will always be great. I think what continues to make it great is the encouragement to have fun and the beautiful landscape of the city. I believe in other cities, nightlife goers have lost sight of that and feel they need to play a “cool” role when out in social settings. It’s important to remember what made this business, as well as the simplicity of enjoying yourself.

WRE: How do you balance operating multiple places? Any advice for future entrepreneurs?

JO: I’m not sure if I’m in the position to give anyone advice yet, but I’ve learned a couple things for example, the value of time and having a good team around you that you can trust with delegated responsibilities.