8 beloved Miami restaurants abruptly close in a matter of days as Florida tourism declines

Miami is having a rough Summer – and unfortunately, local restaurants are absolutely taking it on the chin.

International tourism is down – Miami-Dade reports international travelers declined about 4% year over year.

That may not sound like a huge decline, but when you consider that most restaurants run on incredibly thin margins…even a small decline in visitors could be the difference between prosperity and collapse.

Plus, let’s face it – with food prices and labor costs increasing, restaurants are caught in a real bind. Pass on price increases to customers, and risk their loyalty…or eat the costs and sacrifice your margins?

No wonder so many restaurants in Miami are closing.

Here are just a few of the most heart-breaking losses reported over a matter of days:

• Sushi Maki (an institution on Sunset Drive)
• Ms. Cheezious (the MiMo location specifically)
• Osteria Teatro
• Chica
• Tablé by Bachour
• Piegari
• Ensenada
• Itamae AO (Michelin starred)

Fortunately, a couple of the restaurants in this list are hoping to relocate to new locations – so with any luck, not all of them will be gone forever.

But losing so many restaurants in such a short period of time is such a shame.

Have you eaten at any of these fantastic restaurants? Any great memories to share? Other insights on Miami’s losses? Let us know in the comments!