Miami’s most iconic nightclub for live Cuban music closed 5 years ago. It’s coming back
A Little Havana musical icon is opening its doors once again.
Hoy Como Ayer, the Latin live music venue and cultural hub on Calle Ocho in Miami, is reopening after a closure of five years, with new management — and, presumably, more tributes to the golden age of Cuban music.
The club, which first opened 25 years ago, has hosted countless performers, among them Amaury Gutiérrez, Malena and Lena Burke, Albita Rodríguez, Willy Chirino, Luis Bofill, Aymée Nuviola, Los 3 de La Habana, Spam Allstars, Leslie Cartaya and Palo! Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Matt Dillon and Cameron Diaz came to the hot spot to dance, and it was featured in the 2014 Jon Favreau film “Chef.”
Opened by Fabio Díaz Vilela in 1999 and named for one of Cuban singer Benny Moré’s popular boleros, the hot spot closed in June 2019 after its 20-year lease was up and he couldn’t come to an agreement with the landlord.
“I said it was a cultural center with a liquor license, and that’s how I saw it and always defended it,” Vilela told the Miami Herald in 2019. “I believe it left a deep legacy in the city. People are crying, and we have received very nice messages about what the club meant to them.”
Vilela sold the name to the owner of the building and the nightclub announced its reopening under new management in the fall of 2019. It was only open for three months before the COVID pandemic shut it down again.
Jon Nguyen, one of the partners at the new Hoy Como Ayer, agrees that the venue “embodies the spirit of our community.” They have partnered with Conecta Miami Arts, a local arts programming organization, for weekly live music.
“While the nightlife landscape in Miami has evolved tremendously in the last five years, we’ve always felt like there was a missing piece,” Nguyen said in a statement. “This is what motivated us to bring back Hoy Como Ayer. We’re thrilled to reopen our doors.”
The new Hoy Como Ayer has 4,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, with a 65-seat bar and a 25-seat patio. The new La Sala area is a 140-seat wine bar in a living room setting.
The main room, where the music magic happens, has also been renovated and updated with new lighting and sound systems.
Full bar service includes cocktails like the mamey mojito, colada service (an espresso martini served in a colada cup) and a mezcal white Negroni. There’s also a menu full of such bar bites as sweet corn croquetas, sweet and sour chicken, fried yucca and Chinese barbecue pork bites. A rotating group of local food trucks will also be at the premises, including Ted’s Burgers, PizzElla and Mr. Tacos.
Melissa Messulam, partner and Executive Director of Conecta Miami Arts is excited to bring back the venue, “It’s a homecoming for the artistic community of Miami and a celebration of our shared love for music,” she said in a statement.
Opening weekend programming
June 27: DJ Mr. Pauer, 8 and 10 p.m.; Celia Cruz ll Stars at 9 p.m.
June 28: Humberto Ibarra, 8 and 10 p.m.; Mr. Pauer at 8:45 and 10:45 p.m.
June 29: Sonlokos, 8 and 10 p.m.; Mr. Pauer at 8:45 and 10:45 p.m.
June 30: Cortadito, 7 p.m.
Hoy Como Ayer
Where: 2212 SW Eighth St., Miami
Reopening: June 27
Hours: 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesday-Sunday
More information: www.hoycomoayer.miami
