Miami, FL – November 9, 2018 – The co-founders who are behind bringing the legendary Ball & Chain back to life four years ago, Zack Bush, Ben Bush, and Bill Fuller, are thrilled to announce their next business venture in Little Havana. Mad Room Hospitality is pleased to officially announce they have acquired ownership of the iconic Calle Ocho Mexican spot, Taquerias el Mexicano and upstairs, Los Altos. Taquerias el Mexicano, the authentic Mexican restaurant, who first opened its doors in 1985 at 521 SW 8th Street, has been a long-standing landmark on the Ocho. The Bush brothers and Fuller all share the same passion to preserve old concepts (like Ball & Chain) while adding modern twists. “Just like we do with all of our Mad Room Hospitality concepts, we want to keep the venue as authentic as possible–several key employees that have been an integral part of the restaurant for 15-20 years have played a crucial role in ensuring the integrity of this landmark establishment” says co-owner and one of Miami’s leading nightlife veterans, Zack Bush, “from the recipes, to the décor and pricing, we want to keep the identity fully intact.

Upstairs from the famous Taqueria, is Los Altos, an upscale cocktail lounge and bar. Los Altos, is a secret hidden gem (if you can find it) is inspired by the cultural heritage of Mexico from the drinks to the authentic and imported décor. The 3,000 square foot venue features eight VIP tables offering bottle service in a carefully curated, well-decorated space.  All elements of design are meant to be a tribute to the beauty and culture of Mexico as they were directly sourced from the country including re-purposed doors that came from an abandoned church, hand-stitched furniture, and even the bathroom fixtures were hand-painted in Mexico. Everything from the atmosphere to the cocktail menu created by Erik Gaytan; provides guests with a true Mexican experience. Los Altos is now opened Fridays and Saturday evenings from 8pm to 3am. Little Havana, is one of Miami’s most iconic spots on the map, Taquerias el Mexicano and Los Altos just made it a lot hotter. Read the full editorial below about the Bush brother’s and Bill Fuller’s newest Miami hotspot.

WRE: You seem to have a tremendous rapport with one another. How did the three of you end up in business together? How was Mad Room Hospitality born?

ZB: I am beyond blessed to get to work with my 2 brothers—Ben, my blood brother and best friend and Bill my brother from another mother and best friend as well. Bill and I have been tight since we were 12 years old, spending Junior High, High School, and college together. Ben’s friendship with Bill was a natural one and their friendship blossomed on its own. In our case, I would say best friends really do make the best business partners. We trust each other, we laugh, and most importantly we LOVE what we do. Bill is the one who introduced Ben and I to the true magic of Little Havana. Bill had been raving to us for years about the historic Ball & Chain and how we, collectively, needed to bring it back to life.

At that time I had spent many years in nightlife on Miami Beach and when your best friend calls you to re-open a forgotten but historic gem, Ball & Chain, you figure out a way to make it work. Ben and I have been lifelong business partners and while he is the first to admit he was reluctant to jump feet first at the initial opportunity, Ben has been an integral part of bringing Mad Room Hospitality to life. So here we are nearly five years later, and we have a new restaurant under our belt, a new lounge, and 3-4 additional projects coming to life within the next 12-24 months. We chose Mad Room Hospitality as the name of our parent company because the original Ball & Chain had a VIP room in 1935 called the Mad Room. Our partnership is beyond special and simply put, it just works. It works because not only do we have a deep trust and deep respect for each other, but we also have an understanding of each other’s talents. We happen to all be excellent and very different things. If we were all great at the same thing—we wouldn’t necessarily need each other and we certainly would not thrive.

WRE: Where is Los Altos and Taquerias el Mexicano located and what makes this location so special? What was the inspiration?

BF: 521 Calle Ocho-in the heart of Little Havana. We have been eating at Taquerias El Mexicano for more than 15 years. We jumped at the opportunity to continue the legacy of this amazing restaurant, and at the same time apply our strengths to developing a unique concept in “Los Altos.”

WRE: All of your projects located in Little Havana seem to be both magical and historical at the same time. What do you feel makes the Little Havana neighborhood so special?

BF: All three of us are passionate about the history of Miami… Ball and Chain(est. 1935), Taquerias El Mexicano, and Los Altos(est. 1985) are Calle Ocho institutions. We take immense pride in being stewards of such iconic landmarks. Little Havana is the Corazon of Miami. It has its history, culture, authenticity, proximity, and most importantly, its people. The people are what give Little Havana its true character.

WRE: We remember ages ago when you used to promote some of the best parties on Miami Beach (Towhouse Hotel Fridays, Skybar Thursdays, Delano Sundays) what did you take from your experiences then that help you now?

ZB: Those were some good times back then. Believe it or not, much of what I practiced back then, we still practice today. You are only as good as your last party, and there is nothing more important than the guest experience. These same tenants ring true today and we make sure this permeates throughout the Mad Room Hospitality culture and within the walls of our venues. It is important to remember to treat each guest as if they are walking into your venue for the very first time. Additionally, it is important to surround yourself with great people. We take great pride in surrounding ourselves with an exceptional team. We believe in our team top to bottom and each plays a very important role within our organization. Our business happens to be the Food & Beverage/ Hospitality business—but in ANY business you are only as good as your team. I truly believe, collectively at our venues, we have the best team in the business.

You are only as good as your last party, and there is nothing more important than the guest experience…

Zack Bush

WRE: Describe the experience at Taquerias El Mexicano? Describe the experience at Los Altos?

BF: Taquerias El Mexicano has been a Calle Ocho institution for more than 33 years. It is the quintessential Mexican establishment serving authentic food and cocktails, at reasonable prices, in a festive ambiance. Los Altos, “the heights”, of the Mexicano is the unexpected. It’s fitting to downstairs only in its authenticity, everything else is a mindfuck and we can’t wait for people to experience the magic.

WRE: What three words would you use to describe Los Altos?

BB: Intimate, unexpected, and impressive.

WRE: What is your advice for anyone wanting to get into the hospitality business?

BB: My advice to anyone interested in entering the hospitality industry is to be prepared to put your heart and soul on the line every day and align yourself with partners who share your drive and determination to achieve nothing short of awesome success.

Our partnership is beyond special and simply put, it just works. It works because not only do we have a deep trust and deep respect for each other, but we also have an understanding of each other’s talents.

Ben & Zack Bush, & Bill Fuller

WRE: What is your go-to cocktail at Los Altos and why? What is your go-to item at Taquerias El Mexicano?

BB: When eating at Taquerias El Mexicano, I am all about the tacos al pastor which are as delicious and authentic as any I have tasted in my travels. Our team at Taquerias takes its time to hand make our tortillas each and every day in our scratch kitchen with only the freshest ingredients. We take great pride in this. I challenge anyone to eat just one! My go-to item at Los Altos is our Aguacate Coqueto cocktail which perfectly combines just the right amount of artisanal mezcal, an essence of Avocado, and an infusion of chamomile into a one of a kind beverage that instantly connects me to the unique and wonderful flavors of Mexico. We traveled Mexico extensively and made it our mission to recreate these authentic dishes.

WRE: We are dying to learn more about the “Amuse Booze” please explain?

BB: The Amuse Booze is a play on Amuse Bouche. Amuse Bouche, of course, is a complimentary item often prepared by a chef to prepare the guests for a meal and to offer a glimpse of the chef’s style. The Amuse Booze is our own twist incorporating alcohol. It is the result of us asking the question of what would happen if a typical Mexican Dulceria experimented with some of the country’s finest tequilas and mezcals– and the answer we ended up with is a wonderful, home-made alcohol-based candy that contains the sweetness of Mexico but is meant for a playful palate.

WRE: What details separate Mad Room Hospitality projects from other ventures we see throughout Miami?

BF: We place the guest experience above our profits- always. This is achieved by obsessing over every aspect of the experience. For example, At Ball & Chain, we play 80+ hours of live music a week, with no cover charge (just like it was in the 1940’s). This is a commitment to the live music scene in Miami we made early on, and have kept our promise. It’s incomparable to any other venue. At Taquerias El Mexicano we have invested heavily in traveling to Mexico and immersing ourselves in the culture, sourcing Mexican ingredients, and working with Mexican chefs and mixologists. The authenticity is paramount.

WRE: What is up next for Mad Room Hospitality? And what can we expect to see from your group in the near future?

ZB: Right now is a very exciting time for Mad Room. We love focusing on historic properties. We are beyond excited about Taquerias El Mexicano and Los Altos. We are also thrilled to be handling the Food & Beverage for the renovated Tower Hotel—another historic property set to open in February of 2019. Other than that, we have several other projects that we have not publicly announced yet. We believe in growing the “right” way which does not always mean the “fastest” way. We hand pick each and every project and dedicate ourselves to creating truly unique, authentic, and very special experiences.

GALLERY SLIDER