This content is sponsored by Nikki Beach.
This Fourth of July, Nikki Beach is splashing into Miami Beach nostalgia in honor of the man whose vision helped turn the city into a global destination. To commemorate Independence Day, the popular waterfront venue at 1 Ocean Drive is turning back the clock.
Penrod’s Beach Club, the iconic party spot created by the late Jack Penrod, is taking over for one day of neon-drenched revelry. It’s a celebration longtime locals will not want to miss.
Before South Beach transformed into the glittering, sun-soaked playground it is today, the neighborhood was a grimy scene. In the 1980s, Ocean Drive was more of a “red zone” than a red carpet. The city’s signature street needed someone who could help revive Miami Beach’s lost luster as a tourist mecca.
Enter Penrod, a hospitality entrepreneur with a vision to turn a stretch of sand from First Street to 15th Street into a sun-kissed paradise.
In 1984, the city of Miami Beach awarded Penrod use of the city-owned building at 1 Ocean Drive and provided visitors with beachside concessions along the 15 blocks after he pledged a financial investment of $4M and an aggressive marketing plan. Together with the City Commission, the Hotel Association and the Visitors and Convention Bureau, Penrod launched a full campaign to tell the world that Miami Beach was back.
He organized beach parties all through college campuses in Northeast states, flew in palm trees, sand, a couple of Miami Vice actors, and created press stunts in freezing cities. Five years later, Penrod opened Penrod’s Beach Club, which launched a cultural reset of South Beach. Locals, tourists, and celebrities flocked to its three stories of pure fun: tailgate-style sports bars, nightclub beats, beach volleyball, and legendary events. It’s a legacy that lives on through Penrod’s widow, Lucia Penrod, who is also CEO, owner and cofounder of Nikki Beach Hospitality Group.
“Penrod’s was a cultural landmark that helped define Miami Beach in the 1980s and 1990s,” Lucia Penrod says. “Jack always believed in creating places where people could come together to celebrate life, long before that became our brand motto for Nikki Beach. Penrod’s was the beginning of that journey.”
Celebrating Jack’s life
Penrod was a child of the Great Depression, born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1939. Watching his parents Ruth and Chester Penrod navigate those perilous times instilled a humbling, hard-charging work ethic in him. Penrod’s career started off as a line cook at McDonald’s, which he parlayed into becoming the owner of one of the restaurant chain’s largest franchises. He went on to own multiple bars and restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Daytona Beach.
Tragedy struck in 1997 when Penrod’s 18-year-old daughter, Nicole, died in a car crash. After the loss of Nicole, the club became a place of healing and hope. Jack and Lucia transformed the venue into Café Nikki, a butterfly garden celebrating Nicole’s life. A year later, he reinvented 1 Ocean Drive as Nikki Beach in honor of her memory.
The venue became a white-hot spot for celebrities and models vacationing in South Beach, now known as the American Riviera, partly due to Nikki Beach’s success. Today, Nikki Beach Hospitality Group has beach clubs, resorts, restaurants, and residences around the world.
Penrod passed away at 85 earlier this year, and tributes came pouring in from all over. To remember his legacy, Lucia Penrod is hosting the Fourth of July return of Penrod’s Beach Club from noon to 9 pm. Guests will get to munch on original menu favorites, participate in beach volleyball tournaments and dance to throwback hits from the 1980s and 1990s.
Anyone who shows up in vintage Penrod’s schwag – hats, tees, mugs, you name it – gets a beer on the house.
“This tribute feels especially meaningful this year,” Lucia shares. “With Jack’s recent passing, we wanted to honor where it all began. July 4th was always one of the biggest days at Penrod’s, so it felt like the perfect time to bring that energy back, even if just for one unforgettable celebration.”
More Than a Party — A Legacy
Penrod’s wasn’t just about the party. That spirit of joy and remembrance blossomed into Nikki Beach, now a global brand with outposts in 10 countries, all dedicated to “celebrating life.”“Penrod’s was where it all began,” Lucia reflects. “A local beach bar that became a cultural touchstone in Miami Beach. After Nicole passed away, we poured our hearts into creating something beautiful in her memory and celebrating her life rather than mourning it.”
But this Fourth of July, 1 Ocean Drive will go back in time to an era of events like a man-made ski mountain in Lummus Park, a Bon Jovi concert on the beach and MTV Spring Break tapings.
Whether you’re a South Beach OG, a Nikki Beach regular, or just someone who loves a good party, Independence Day will also be a celebration of Miami Beach history. Get ready to dance to hits from the 1980s and 1990s, and nosh on throwback dishes from Penrod’s original menu. Bites include crispy conch fritters served with Penrod’s special tartar sauce, a savory smoked fish dip with salty crackers, a fried shrimp basket with zesty cocktail sauce and the All Meridian Cheeseburger featuring an eight-ounce Black Angus beef patty.
As Lucia Penrod puts it: “This July 4th, we’re paying tribute to that legacy, to Jack’s vision, and to the original spirit of celebration that first brought people together on this sand.”
When: Friday, July 4, 12-9PM
Where: Nikki Beach Miami Beach, 1 Ocean Drive
How: Reservations open now via Resy
