Provided by Sugar Factory – Miami Beach
Audio By Carbonatix
It looks like Miami’s years-long sugar high is officially over. Sugar Factory American Brasserie has closed its last local restaurant at 507 Española Way in Miami Beach.
The company gave no farewell announcement. The smoking goblets, sparklers, rainbow sliders, and celebrities shilling crystal-covered lollipops disappeared without one last hurrah.
Kylie Jenner and the first sugar rush
Sugar Factory’s Miami era began in June 2015, when the Las Vegas-born candy shop and brasserie opened inside Hotel Victor on Ocean Drive. Kylie Jenner, then just 17, hosted the opening, walked the red carpet, took selfies with fans, and posed with her custom Couture Pop — a jeweled lollipop that came with a crystal-studded case, naturally.
The restaurant filled 200 seats, had two patios, candy-themed cocktails, and dishes like a “King Kong Sundae” made with 24 scoops of ice cream.
Provided by Sugar Factory – Miami Beach
In April 2016, Sugar Factory opened a second Miami Beach restaurant at 647 Lincoln Road. By the end of that year, Miami Beach’s Sugar Factory ranked No. 15 among the country’s most Instagrammed restaurants, the only Florida restaurant on the list.
Naturally, the celebrity appearances kept coming. Mariah Carey held a 2017 concert afterparty there with her children, Bryan Tanaka, Jonathan Cheban, and a collection of Bravo stars. Months later, Scott Disick hosted an Art Week party.
Provided by Sugar Factory – Miami Beach
Open, close, repeat
The Lincoln Road restaurant closed by May 2018. That year, Sugar Factory founder Charissa Davidovici and David Grutman opened Sugar Factory Gummy World alongside Happy Place Donuts at 507 Española Way, complete with a machine reportedly capable of producing 20,000 gummies a day.
In July 2020, groups tied to the Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive locations filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but Sugar Factory kept expanding locally anyway. In March 2022, it opened at Bayside Marketplace and, days later, followed with a restaurant at Aventura Mall. Both closed by April 2023, with the Aventura location lasting only about a year.
The next month, Sugar Factory opened inside the former Firestone Garage at 1575 Alton Road, where Natti Natasha hosted the debut. That restaurant later closed, and the brand’s last Miami incarnation landed at Española Way.
Provided by Sugar Factory – Miami Beach
A bigger sugar crash
Miami’s revolving door didn’t happen by accident. In a 2023 lawsuit reported by The Real Deal, investor John Sullivan alleged that Davidovici and her partners withheld nearly $1 million in profit distributions and failed to repay a $2.1 million promissory note. He also accused Davidovici of diverting $1.8 million toward a proposed doughnut shop on Española Way. A Sugar Factory legal officer declined to comment to the publication, and the claims were allegations in a civil complaint.
Since then, Sugar Factory restaurants have closed in Indianapolis, Delray Beach, Detroit, Jacksonville, and Glendale. The Jacksonville location closed in June, shortly after state inspectors temporarily shut it down over 21 violations, including rodent activity.
Recent Google reviews suggest the Española Way restaurant closed in late July or early August. Google now marks it permanently closed; its Instagram account has been quiet since earlier this summer, and the company’s official directory lists no Miami or South Florida locations.
Sugar Factory. 507 Española Way, Miami Beach. Permanently closed.
