Q&A: Major Food Group Debuts ZZ’s Club in Miami Design District

Photography by Seth Browarnik, Alejandro Chavarria, Ryan Troy, Richard Alvarez on April 22nd, 2021 in Celebrity, Editorials, Food, Lifestyle, Miami Design District

Major Food Group Launches ZZ’s Club in Miami Design District from World Red Eye Films on Vimeo.

Miami, FL – April 22 – 24, 2021 – Hot on the heels of opening the beloved CARBONE Miami, critically acclaimed global restaurant company Major Food Group (MFG) is continuing its Florida expansion with ZZ’s Club, a Japanese restaurant and membership club in the heart of the Miami Design District offering cuisine of the highest caliber, personalized hospitality, and unmatched amenities.

The two-level space is designed by the renowned Ken Fulk, a frequent collaborator of Major Food Group, and features various amenity spaces reminiscent of an early 80’s disco, with custom banquettes, fringed stools, and cocktails tables, and a palette that includes metallic leather, animal prints, rose gold shattered mirror, velvet, and neon. MFG also tapped esteemed New York City chefs Masa Ito and Kevin Kim to preside over the restaurant’s dining experience, setting a new standard for sushi and Japanese cuisine in Miami.

World Red Eye went behind the scenes with Major Food Group for an exclusive first look at yet another major new addition to their expansive portfolio, and discussed the vision behind this new space and what else they have planned for Miami. Read the full Q&A below.

By Gaby Cuevas

Jeff Zalaznick, Rich Torrisi, & Mario Carbone

WRE: ZZ’s Club is your newest restaurant and membership club opening in the Miami Design District. Tell us more about the concept behind this project.

Jeff Zalaznick: ZZ’s is about exclusivity and luxury. The best food, the best drinks and the best people. We are excited to share this concept with all of our friends in Miami. It is something very special.

WRE: The recently opened Miami Beach outpost of CARBONE has proven to be an immense success, quickly setting the standard for fine-dining across the city. How do you hope to mirror that same success with ZZ’s?

Mario Carbone: I think the success we are seeing herein Miami is a product of our process. We put a lot of time and effort into the details in the restaurant from the food, the service to the ambiance, and I believe we did that here at ZZ’s as well.

WRE: You’ve tapped renowned chefs Masa Ito and Kevin Kim to head the food program at ZZ’s. What will they bring to Miami that the city has never seen before?

MC: World class sushi experience.

The success we are seeing herein Miami is a product of our process. We put a lot of time and effort into the details in the restaurant.

Mario Carbone

WRE: ZZ’s Club marks the second ZZ’s in the Major Food Group family, following the original ZZ’s Clam Bar in New York City. How would you describe the ZZ’s brand? What sets it apart from other MFG concepts?

Rich Torrisi: Each one of our concepts are individually and meticulously designed to provide our guests with unforgettable signature experiences, unique to each and every one. We aim to create different types of experiences for our guests, with the goal of transporting them as soon as they walk through the door. ZZ’s Club is a variation of ZZ’s Clam Bar that expands on the original restaurant’s menu. Having brought in two of New York’s best sushi chefs to help run the restaurant (Kevin Kim and Masa Ito), guests can expect authentically-prepared and delicately balanced offerings of Japanese cuisine.

WRE: What are some of the additional amenities, outside of the restaurant, that guests can expect to enjoy?

RT: On the second floor of ZZ’s, guests will find our private, members-only bar and lounge area. There will also be an outdoor, open-air cigar lounge area and backgammon and chess tables.

Alex Pirez, Jeff Zalaznick, Rich Torrisi, & Mario Carbone

ZZ’s is about exclusivity and luxury. The best food, the best drinks and the best people.

Jeff Zalaznick

WRE: Mocca Construction is responsible for the build out of now two Major Food Group restaurants in Miami. How did this partnership come to be?

Alex Pirez: Major Food Group operates dynamic hospitality businesses around the world, and with it, a devoted following of people ready for more unforgettable experiences. When MFG decided to pivot into Miami, they needed someone with a strong local foothold to spearhead the development aspect and bring their vision to life. It was important that whoever they partnered with believed in the mission and was eager to support their future expansion plans. We found a very mutual synergy from the start – and it’s only the beginning!

WRE: How did you all decide on the Design District as the location for this restaurant?

AP: There was no hesitation when we landed on the Miami Design District. It’s the place to be right now and there isn’t a more idyllic fit for ZZ’s. The neighborhood is filled with continuous momentum and inviting energy, and ZZ’s is the perfect complement. It’s evolved so much in the past several years and there’s no doubt it’ll only continue. We are proud to be a part of the movement.

While the pandemic has slowed the progress of most projects, Mocca Construction has remained resilient to further expand their footprint in Miami. In just a mere 8 weeks, Mocca was able to present the legendary CARBONE to Miami in a comfortable, yet elegant setting. Piggybacking off of the momentum of CARBONE, the opening of ZZ’s Club came only 90 days later. Major Food Group has plans to continue their expansion in Miami with two more restaurants coming this fall, both constructed by Mocca.