It's a Nochebuena miracle!
Miamians who came of legal drinking age in the 2010s are probably likely familiar — if hazily so — with Wood Tavern, whose sprawling complex at the bustling intersection of NW Second Avenue and 26th Street was a veritable bohemian oasis during the arts district's formative years. Wood was where countless hipsters (and Miami New Times staffers) gathered for reasonably priced drinks in a decidedly no-judgment space.
On March 14, 2021, a decade after opening, Wood Tavern closed. At the time, Morales cited the lethal one-two of a "drastic dip in sales" and the neighborhood's "premium rent" rates. Morales briefly opened a smaller iteration down the block a few months later, but the thrill was gone in less than a year.
"It honestly never had its own entrance, and we never did it justice," Morales says today. "When we closed down, we thought, 'Hey, we had a good ride, it was beautiful — let's leave it alone.'"
Perhaps not surprisingly, on the day Morales announced the second closing on Instagram, fans of all backgrounds and ages poured forth with condolences and hopes for a rebirth. Comments ranged from "Please come back to us" and "Years of memories" to "Damn it not again that really sucks" and "Time to leave Miami."
Wood Tavern was bustling at night, and Cesar Morales hopes it will look like this once more.
Photo by Wood Tavern
Having lain dormant for a year, Wood Tavern's Instagram came back to life in early November of this year with a message from Morales himself. No press release. No fancy marketing strategy. Just a black square with the proprietor's thoughts typed out in white sans-serif type. "Over two and a half years have passed since it closed, and nothing has come and taken its spot. Not even close. I kinda feel it's needed more than ever..."
Morales went on to note that he'd been presented with an opportunity to open a Wood Tavern in Allapattah. Despite the relatively lower rents in that Wynwood-adjacent area, he noted that to maintain Wood Tavern's DNA — think cheap drinks and no cover charge — he'd have to come up with a fair chunk of cash.
Several hundred comments later, Morales knew Wood Tavern had to return, one way or another.
"I have to be honest — it was a shock to me that people still follow Wood Tavern's Instagram account," he says. "The following is clearly there, and the memories are there. I didn't think I would ever feel this way."
Morales took to Instagram again on December 4 to share that he'd secured a permanent location for a new Wood Tavern at 720 Northwest 21st Street and aims to open in December 2024.
"Allapattah will be our permanent home," he tells New Times. "It worked out for everybody."
In the meantime, he says he has secured an agreement with the owners of Shots to open at their location as a yearlong pop-up, which will operate Tuesdays through Sundays, beginning Saturday, December 23. (Here, he pauses to note that he hates the word "pop-up." We kind of do, too, but sometimes no other term will suffice.)
As for the fate of Shots, the bar held its last event on the final day of Art Week, which was on Sunday, December 10. Therefore, Shots will now cease to be. "Wood Tavern is taking over Shots until the Allapattah location opens," explains a Shots manager Felipe Maya.
New Times reached out to the Shots team who clarified their decision to cease operations in a written statement. It reads, in part, "Shots will cease operations and Wood will begin." According to the statement, Shots will begin licensing the brand for others to own and operate.
Now, Morales has been given another chance to bring Wood Tavern back to life. He has set up a separate website, Bring Wood Back, hawking merch to raise some dough.
"Not to be cheesy or anything, but Wood is so much more than a bar," Morales says. "It's a sense of community. People don't have their second home anymore. Had somebody come and done something similar, we wouldn't have messed with our legacy. But there's a need for Wood. So it's happening."
The Allapattah space won't be as big as the original, but Morales promises plenty of the old atmosphere.
And still no dress code.
Wood Tavern. 356 NW 24th St., Miami; instagram.com/woodtavern. Tuesday through Saturday 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. and Sunday 3 p.m. to midnight beginning Saturday, December 23.
