The Grove is one of the trendier areas of Miami. Plenty of upscale restaurants intermingled with dive-looking bars, as well as extravagant boutiques all smack in between the mayor’s office and the ghetto. Its a smaller, more natural and less pretentious Lincoln Road. Unfortunately it is falling on hard times.
Granted all the places of business in the Grove don’t exactly have the highest life expectancy. Stores come and go, although there are the perennials. The issue is that some of the more well known restaurants are starting to close down. According to the Miami Herald, Cafe Tu Tu Tango in Cocowalk is set to close. I’ve been to it, as well as the one in Atlanta, which also closed, and the one in Orlando. I have been a fan of the chain, and sad to see it go in place of… another bloody Starbucks. It seems that because of the renovation of new areas like Gables, Mary Brickell Village, the Design District, and of course South Beach, the Grove is on hard times.
While I am sad to see a restaurant I have enjoyed go, and crap take its place, that is not my main complaint. What is, however, is how the other restaurants and shops in the area are taking this new move. There is a diversity of food in the grove, but now, staff at restaurants are becoming a bit too strong in the hopes that they will have repeat customers. Waiting staff are clinging on to patrons, and it becomes annoying. It is depressing to see a business someone put a lot of effort into close down, but it is even worse to see the staff basically beg you to come back.
I hope there is a renewed drive into the Grove to keep classic establishments afloat, but only time can tell.
Jason Orkin, Patron
Tags: coconut grove, Complaints, restaurats
