Biggest Miami Bar Closings of 2025

While Miami and Fort Lauderdale welcomed a wave of new restaurant and bar openings in 2025, many came from large, well-funded hospitality groups with national or global reach. For longtime locals, however, the year also brought the loss of several beloved nightlife institutions where neighborhood shifts and rising costs have increasingly squeezed out independent operators.

Closures are inevitable in any city (this year we saw 23 amazing spots close in Miami), but this year brought the closures of several deeply rooted bars and gathering places that helped define entire eras, particularly in Wynwood and Miami Beach, where rising rents, shifting demographics, and changing city priorities have increasingly squeezed out independent operators. These weren’t just places to grab a drink; they were anchors of community, culture, and memory.

From dance floors that prized movement over bottle service to rooftops undone by infrastructure failures and beach bars priced out of their own history, here are the biggest Miami and Fort Lauderdale bar closures of 2025.

Brick

Brick, one of Wynwood’s longest-running bars, officially closed on Saturday, November 1, marking the end of an 11-year run on Northwest 28th Street. The open-air bar built a loyal following as a no-frills dance spot in a neighborhood that has steadily traded warehouse grit for velvet ropes and polished concepts. Housed in a 1920s home and patio, Brick was known for its hip-hop, reggae, and dancehall nights, which prioritized movement over bottle service theatrics. Its closure feels like another chapter closing on old Wynwood, a place many locals say you simply had to be there to understand.

Cebada Rooftop

Cebada Rooftop in Coral Gables was forced to close in 2025, just weeks after its relaunch, due to persistent elevator malfunctions that rendered the space unsafe for both guests and staff. Owner Jorgie Ramos told New Times the problem has persisted since the restaurant opened nearly five years ago, despite repeated service calls and promises of repairs. The ongoing breakdowns regularly left customers stranded and staff hauling supplies up multiple flights of stairs, creating an unsustainable and potentially dangerous situation. While Ramos hopes to reopen once a permanent fix is in place, the closure underscores how infrastructure failures can derail even the most popular neighborhood restaurants.

Finnegan’s Road

The closure of Finnegan’s Road stands as the biggest bar shutdown of 2025, ending a 25-year run as a true Lincoln Road institution. For generations of South Beach locals, the laid-back bar was a constant, surviving recessions, hurricanes, and countless spring breaks, until the city’s aggressive crackdown finally tipped the scales. Owner Jason DeCastro cited barricades, curfews, and plummeting March foot traffic as the breaking point, calling this past March the “worst month in the bar’s history.” More than just another closure, Finnegan’s exit signaled a profound shift in South Beach nightlife and the growing cost of Miami Beach’s new restrictions.

Gramps (Closing January 4, 2026)

Another beloved Wynwood institution, Gramps, announced it will close in early January 2026, leaving locals a brief window for a final round of nostalgia during its 13-year run. More than just a bar, Gramps served as a hub for independent artists and underground culture, hosting live music, DJs, and community-driven events. Gramps was also home to the first Nerd Nite Miami. Following the closure announcement, the bar hosted one final Nerd Nite on December 18, featuring talks on rum, cam sites, and the history of Gramps itself. Longtime customers of the bar that truly defined Wynwood for over a decade have until January 4, 2026, to visit the legendary spot. P.S. – Gramps will live on at Gramps Getaway near Key Biscayne!

Lucky’s Tavern

Lucky’s Tavern, the neon-lit and unapologetically rowdy bar in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Himmarshee District, closed after 15 years near the New River. Known for late nights, dancing on the bar, and a come-as-you-are crowd, Lucky’s became a pre- and post-show staple for generations of locals. Its farewell marks another shift for a historic nightlife corridor that has already seen decades of reinvention. For many regulars, the last call feels like the end of an era defined by messy fun, loud music, and nights that always went later than planned.

Margot Wine Bar

Margot Bar & Bistro, one of downtown Miami’s most beloved natural wine bars, quietly closed both its downtown and Miami Beach locations after nearly four years. Known for its relaxed, retro vibe and thoughtful natural wine list, Margot offered a refreshing counterpoint to Miami’s flashier bar scene and earned New Times’ Best Wine Bar in 2021. Co-founder Gabriel Orta of Bar Lab confirmed the closures, citing a difficult year and mounting challenges across the city’s dining landscape. Its exit adds to a growing list of 2025 closures and underscores just how unforgiving the past year has been for even Miami’s most well-loved concepts.

Quarterdeck Las Olas/Fort Lauderdale Beach

Another longtime Broward locale, Quarterdeck, shut its Fort Lauderdale beach sports bar in September 2025 after three decades on the Las Olas promenade. CEO James Flanigan shared that the company’s flagship location, approximately two miles away and four times the size, had been competing with the beach location for the past six years. Multiple sources indicate an expired lease and failed negotiations for a lower rent, with declining sales rendering the numbers no longer viable. The restaurant has quietly scrubbed the Las Olas outpost from its website and social media, while its other locations in Dania Pier, Fort Lauderdale’s 17th Street, Davie, and Sunrise remain open. The closure highlights the growing pressure of rising rents and shrinking foot traffic, even for well-known South Florida staples.