By Chris Taylor
NEW YORK (Reuters) – You likely associate Daymond John with New York City, since the famed entrepreneur first started iconic clothing brand FUBU back in Hollis, Queens.
But these days, the “Shark Tank” judge has another favorite spot: Miami. You may spy him strolling the city’s waterfront doing deals for his marketing and branding company The Shark Group.
The following interview is edited and condensed.
WHAT HE LOVES MOST ABOUT MIAMI
If you’re a businessperson, you can catch everybody within a 50-block radius. They’re not having your people talk to their people: They’re out there. Their guards are down. They’re relaxed and chilling.
It’s not like L.A., where you spend all day in traffic because you have 10 different people to meet. You’ll have a great conversation – and probably accomplish way more in a shorter span of time.
And when I am in New York City, my day is always so rushed. I’m accomplishing the same things in Miami, but at a slower pace.
WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU LAND
I can do my conference calls for miles on any kind of beach or boardwalk, while stopping along the way to get some fried fish, walking up and down Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.
WHERE TO STAY
One of my favorite hotels in the world is The Diplomat (S. Ocean Drive). If you want high service, that hotel has it, but you can also go to the Mandarin Oriental (Brickell Key Drive). The Setai (Collins Ave.), the Arlo Wynwood (NW Miami Ct.) and the W South Beach (Collins Ave.) are also great.
WHERE TO HAVE TEAM MEETINGS
Anywhere on the beach, or any of those top hotels have great venues to sit. But I like Zaytinya (Lincoln Rd.), which is a new spot from Chef Jose Andres.
POWER BREAKFAST PLACE
Little Hen (NE 1st Ave.), especially when I’m with my wife or daughter. It’s very visually pleasing, and they have these rose petal pancakes that are amazing.
Major Food Group has Sadelle’s (Collins Ave.) with the best smoked salmon you will ever have. Or you can get a quick, healthy breakfast at Pura Vida (multiple locations including Brickell Ave.)
BEST TEAM OUTING
Wynwood Walls [Miami’s original street art museum, NW 2nd Ave.], or Puttery mini-golf and bar (NW 28th St.), which is Rory McIlroy’s new spot.
Everybody is always going boating or yachting. You also could see a Miami Heat game (Kaseya Center, Biscayne Blvd.)
You can get really good Heat tickets at the last minute – and you just cannot do that with the Knicks.
TOURIST TRAP THAT’S WORTH IT
The Clevelander hotel (Ocean Drive) or LIV nightclub (Collins Ave.)
BEST WAY TO GET AROUND
Everything is within a short distance. By the time, you find parking and pay for it, you could have been in and out of an Uber.
FAVORITE AREA TO SHOP
Bal Harbour (northern tip of Miami Beach), because all the high-end stores are there. Aventura Mall (Biscayne Blvd.) is great because every possible brand is there. And the Design District (NE 39th St.), which is edgier.
SOMETHING ONLY INSIDERS KNOW
Haulover Beach is a great place to people-watch (north of Miami Beach). And there’s a great sports bar on the 9th floor of a building [Mike’s at Venetia, NE 15th St.], very few people know about that.
BEST DINNER SPLURGE
ZZ’s (NE 41st St.), Carbone (Collins Ave.), Contessa (NE 41st St.), Swan (NE 39th St.), Prime 112 (Ocean Drive) and, of course, Joe’s Stone Crab (Washington Ave.)
BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION
If you live at one of those high-rises on the water and go to high-end restaurants every night, yes, it’s going to cost you. But you can be a local and live cheaply the exact same way, enjoying the exact same water at the exact same beach.
(Editing by Lauren Young, Bernadette Baum and Michael Perry)
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