SBE Entertainment Group founder Sam Nazarian is forging ahead with his ghost kitchens venture.
Nazarian, who last year sold his remaining stake in SBE’s hotel business to French hospitality company Accor, inked a lease for his virtual kitchens platform C3. The company is taking 10,000-square-foot space at 3015 Grand Avenue in Miami’s Coconut Grove. The office is expected to open in early 2022, according to a release.
Nazarian paid $14 million for a waterfront mansion nearby in Coral Gables’ Gables Estates in December.
C3 will use the Coconut Grove space as a home base for the CitizensGo app, which launched last month. The office, which will include a test kitchen and culinary institute, is at the newly renovated CocoWalk, a mixed-use shopping center. C3 is renovating the space formerly occupied by Chili’s Bar and Grill. Federal Realty Investment Trust, Grass River Property and the Comras Company own the property.
C3’s concepts include Krispy Rice, Sam’s Crispy Chicken and Umami Burger.
The lease marks another example of tech firms opening up shop in Miami, propelled by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez’s campaign to attract high-paying tech jobs.
The Related Group recently opened its new headquarters nearby at 2850 Tigertail Avenue in Coconut Grove.