Three Years In, Rooftop Cinema Club South Beach Is Still DIY — With Some Upgrades

String lights hang overhead, strung together from corner to corner, creating extra twinkles in the night sky. Pastel-colored shipping containers dish out movie tickets, snacks, and drinks. White and turquoise lawn chairs are neatly organized on one side, with high tops on the other.

Rooftop Cinema Club, situated atop 1212 Lincoln Road, has maintained its DIY aesthetic since it opened in June 2022, albeit with some upgrades.

Founded in 2011 by entrepreneur Gerry Cottle, the Rooftop Cinema Club brand originated in East London, with its first location opening between tall office buildings in Shoreditch. "At night, you'd be watching a movie and see the cleaner [in the building window next door] go about their business," Cottle remembers.

Today, the outdoor theater concept has locations in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Fort Worth, San Diego, and New York City, in addition to the aforementioned South Beach outpost.

No matter the city, Cottle says Rooftop Cinema Club's formula is simple: "A great film, plus a great location, equals a great experience."

"I basically grew up seeing the power of entertainment," Cottle tells New Times over Zoom. His father, the late Gerry Cottle, Sr., quite literally ran off to the circus as a teenager and built a lifelong career in the industry. "I grew up in a circus," says his son. "I'm an ex-clown and juggler myself. I no longer have the curly wig," he says, pointing to the curls atop his head.

Cottle spent his youth on the road watching old movies on DVD and VHS in the middle of random fields. Those experiences grounded his passion for film, entertainment, and putting on a show. As he found his own identity, Cottle knew he wanted to create a business that — much like the circus — brought joy and escapism to audiences.

When he first opened Rooftop Cinema Club, he showed movies plucked straight from his personal DVD collection. These included films like Back to the Future or Top Gun, both released in theaters before Cottle was old enough to see them on the silver screen.

After a successful run at the London location, Cottle expanded westward. In 2015, he opened a Rooftop Cinema Club in Los Angeles and a seasonal venue in New York City. Two years later, he moved to the West Coast and began to operate and develop the business out of L.A., where he's still based.
The Miami Beach spot followed in 2022. At the time, the former circus man was looking for cities where his cinemas could operate year-round, unlike cities like London, where no one wants to be on a rooftop during winter.

"[Miami] is a famous movie city with a diverse audience," he adds, "and we look for really exciting, diverse places."

One thing Cottle and the team like to do with each location is keep the programming as localized as possible: Diverse enough to reflect the community it serves, with a spotlight on films made in that city. To wit: The South Beach location's June lineup includes a screening of The Bird Cage (1996), famously filmed in Miami and starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.

Cottle admits the Miami Beach location's popularity has allowed the company to use it as a testing ground for new products and programming. Earlier this year, Rooftop Cinema Club South Beach introduced a new rooftop lounge, cocktail menu, and weekly happy hour. Programming also includes live music on Mondays and Fridays and a rotation of events, from karaoke to trivia.

"We're trying to ensure that people see us as a bar as well as a cinema," says Cottle. "Even though the core offering is, of course, entertainment."
Naturally, visitors think of Rooftop Cinema Club as a venue for cinephiles first and foremost, but anyone can pop up to the rooftop to take in the views with a drink and bar bites. In fact, explains Nick Samero, director of operations, Miami was the brand's first location to offer bar service.

"We're always trying to elevate the experience for our customers," Samero told New Times via Zoom from Chicago, where he recently assisted with the opening of the brand's Fulton Market location.

Based in Miami, Samero joined the team in 2021 to help open the South Beach location. Since then, he's taken on the role of overseeing new openings and programming. He remembers the chaos of opening night three years ago: "It was a huge success, but I would say the funniest part is that two minutes after the movie ended, there was a torrential downpour. Everyone took off running, but it was great because we made it through at least the opening night movie!"

Cottle echoes the optimistic sentiment: "There's an old saying my dear dad used to say to me from his circus days: 'When times are tough, give people bread and circus.' It means when times are tough, people just need food and entertainment, and we can survive anything as human beings."

Rooftop Cinema Club South Beach. 1212 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $22 to $28 via rooftopcinemaclub.com.