Q&A: Breakwater & Grove Bay Hospitality Groups Debut CH’I

Francesco Balli, Emi Guerra, Ignacio-Garcia Menocal, Eddie Acevedo, & Alex Mantecon

Miami, FL – June 1, 2021 – South Florida-based restaurant groups, Grove Bay Hospitality Group and Breakwater Hospitality Group are spicing up the Miami dining and nightlife scene with the opening of their premiere collaborative concept, CH’I located in Brickell City Centre. The multi-faceted entertainment venue fuses several immersive concepts – a Garden; Mercado; Lounge; and Main Dining Room – into one dynamic and incomparable experience. CH’I’s high-energy ambiance is felt throughout the massive 12,000 square foot indoor and outdoor space that boasts three full-service bars; two DJ booths; multiple lounge and dining areas; and a unique menu of Chino-Latino cuisine that is intensely flavored, imaginatively prepared, and equally celebratory of its heritage. Inspired by the Chinese cafes that first dotted the streets of Latin America, and then of Miami and New York, CH’I has created a style of entertainment, food, and service all its own.

World Red Eye entered into the unique and immersive world of CH’I for an exclusive first look at the one-of-a kind concept and discussed with Co-CEO of Grove Bay, Ignacio Garcia-Menocal, and co-owner of Breakwater Hospitality, Emi Guerra, the process behind developing such large project and what Miami can expect from this new multi-use space. Read the full Q&A below.

By Gaby Cuevas

Alex Mantecon, Ignacio-Garcia Menocal, Emi Guerra, Eddie Acevedo, & Francesco Balli

WRE: CH’I is a joint venture between Grove Bay Hospitality Group and Breakwater Hospitality Group. How did you decide to work together?

Ignacio Garcia-Menocal: Emi Guerra and I have been friends for many years. We’re both local guys and went to the same high school. I’ve always admired and respected his success in the nightlife industry and more recently with The Wharf in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. We’ve been discussing the idea of working together for quite some time and it finally came to fruition with CH’I.

Emi Guerra: Approximately two years ago we started talking about partnering on this project, and it was clear from the jump that each of our companies’ strengths complemented the others. After our first meeting, the decision was a rather easy one really. The fact that we’ve been friends for so long; we have a similar work ethic, drive, and communication style; and our mutual trust and respect for each other’s talents and abilities made this partnership an easy one. As we’ve gotten further along the process, we are seeing things click well between us despite the many outside challenges. It’s made this opening that much more rewarding.

WRE: CH’I is located inside of Miami hotspot, Brickell City Centre. How did you decide on this location?

EG: Brickell City Centre is in the heart of Miami in an area which has more density than anywhere south of Manhattan. The specific location had the right square footage, foot traffic, and demographic. The landlord, SWIRE, was great to deal with and the timing was right. It was not a difficult decision as it’s the absolute ideal location for our concept.

Alex Mantecon, Ignacio-Garcia Menocal, Emi Guerra, Eddie Acevedo, & Francesco Balli

Each of our companies’ strengths complemented the others… Our mutual trust and respect for each other’s talents and abilities made this partnership an easy one.

Emi Guerra

WRE: Miami is home to a myriad of different restaurants featuring food from all over the world. What made you want to focus on Chino-Latino cuisine specifically for this concept?

IGM: The Miami culinary scene has really taken off over the last decade to be on par with any major city in our country or even the world. That said, however, we feel there is a lack of local concepts celebrating Chino-Latino cuisine. Chinese cuisine has such an incredible influence throughout Latin America and considering Miami has such a big Hispanic population, we felt it was time to shine a light on its impact. Selfishly, all of us at Grove Bay and Breakwater also love this cuisine, so this will be a place for us to dine as well.

WRE: This new concept features multiple indoor and outdoor areas for eating, drinking, and live entertainment. Why did you choose to develop a multi-use space as opposed to only a restaurant?

IGM: We feel we have a such a great opportunity to combine each of our group’s expertise to create an amazing and incomparable concept. Between Grove Bay’s experience in creating and operating award-winning restaurants and Breakwater’s vast experience in nightlife and entertainment, we wanted to make sure this concept leveraged all of that diverse experience into one unique concept.

EG: Our history in the industry has taught us that to successfully capture a large audience, we need to offer a variety of experiences. For the same reason that music festivals have multiple stages with different acts, or nightclubs with multiple rooms with different vibes, CH’I provides multiple atmospheres and experiences that range from casual to elegant so that we can offer something for every occasion, day or night.

The Miami culinary scene has really taken off over the last decade to be on par with any major city in our country or even the world.

Ignacio Garcia-Menocal

WRE: What kind of experience can guests expect when visiting CH’I?

IGM: A culinary journey that blends the energies of not only two culinary backgrounds, Latin and Chinese, but also four unique concepts to create one seamless and vibrant experience.

EG: CH’I is a transportive experience that wows at every turn. It’s a high-energy space that the guest feels from the moment they enter, whether they’re coming for a casual daytime lunch at the Mercado, post-work happy hour drinks in The Garden, or a chic dinner in our Dining Room that transforms into dancing and late-night cocktails in our Lounge area.

WRE: CH’I features multiple lounge and dining areas throughout the 12,000 square foot space such as the Garden, Mercado, Main Dining Room, and Lounge. Which of these areas is your personal favorite?

IGM: The Lounge is my personal favorite. It’s intimate, it’s sexy and you have to “know” how to get to it.

EG: My personal favorite is the outdoor garden and bar area. There is nothing more Miami than being outside and having a drink or a bite to eat. After a long day at work, or meeting up with friends from out of town, the Garden is the perfect place to drink, dine and enjoy our gorgeous city.

CH’I provides a culinary journey that blends the energies of not only two culinary backgrounds, Latin and Chinese, but also four unique concepts to create one seamless and vibrant experience.

Ignacio Garcia-Menocal

WRE: What has been the most difficult part of developing such a large-project from the ground up?

EG: In general, large projects require a large team to get it off the ground. While growing these teams is difficult for many, we’ve been lucky enough to scale our management, marketing, and logistical teams swiftly while simultaneously creating a work culture where we all take our successes and failures personal. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you have a team that cares about the product they produce. If you have a great team, the larger projects are actually easier than the smaller ones.

IGM: The most challenging part of this project was ultimately the delays related to COVID-19. We’ve been ready to open for several weeks but had to postpone the opening due to the industry-wide labor shortage. Thankfully, our teams were able to pivot and overcome that by offering $1,000 signing bonuses and higher hourly wages to incentivize applicants. Opening without a full staff was never an option despite the space being ready from a construction and design standpoint; quality in service and our food and beverage program was never something we were willing to sacrifice.

WRE: Are there more collaborative projects in the work? What can Miami expect from Grove Bay Hospitality Group and Breakwater Hospitality Group in the future?

EG: Both of our companies are expanding at an aggressive rate and the chemistry is there. Hopefully, we can create more unique concepts together.