50 Eggs is moving their headquarters to an old motel in the MiMo district, just across from the Vagabond Hotel. The company, who is responsible for starting the chain Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, and other staple Miami restaurants such as Yardbird Southern Kitchen & Bar, Swine Southern Table & Bar, BTW, and Khong River House (the Lincoln Road location closed this past Saturday and is moving to another space in the MiMo neighborhood – no word on the exact location yet), shows no signs of slowing down.
Apart from the restaurant business, 50 Eggs acquired an advertising agency called the Southern Brand Collective providing services in branding, marketing, interior design, and construction. 50 Eggs owner and CEO, John Kunkel, fell in love with the Sunshine Motel on 73rd and Biscayne and purchased it as the location for their brand new headquarters in December 2012, paying more than double what the previous owners purchased the property for. Even though this was Kunkel's ideal space, the lack of air conditioning or electricity meant unavoidable renovations. Kunkel set out to transform the historic building, reportedly spending up to $2 million in repairs, with the help of architect, Alan Shulman.
The building will be used as an office space for the company, as well as house an experimental concept called Test Kitchen, a space aimed at helping chefs and owners of smaller restaurants to try new recipes and share information about the industry. There will be an outdoor event space for charity dinners, a parking lot, edible landscaping and a rooftop garden, says the Herald. As of now, the building is still under construction but it appears that those couple of million dollars were well worth it – the renovation is coming together nicely.—Alexandra J Miller
[Rendering via Shulman+Associates]
· Khong River House Closed [Eater Miami]
· 50 Eggs in Search of a Home [Biscayne Times]
· MiMo's Metamorphosis [Miami Herald]