Lincoln Road Bets on Restaurant Pop-Ups For Revival. Will it Work?

May 9, 2025, F+B Hospitality Brokerage's, Felix Bendersky, was quoted in Miami New Times in their article, "Lincoln Road Bets on Restaurant Pop-Ups for Revival. Will it Work?"

Excerpts from the article include:

Despite the optimism surrounding the program, some industry insiders remain skeptical. Felix Bendersky, restaurant broker and founder of the popular @fandbmiami Instagram account, questions whether pop-ups alone can address deeper issues. In a caption, he writes, "These 'temporary permit' moves don't fix the core problem: high rents, overregulation, and a scene that no longer feels like South Beach. We get it — pop-ups are a low-risk way to fill space. But is it a revival strategy...or just a way to make the vacancy problem look less obvious?'"

New Times spoke to Bendersky himself to get more insight on the matter.

"Lincoln Road once upon a time was one of the coolest places on the planet," Bendersky tells New Times. "When I heard about the pop-up thing, I was just really sad about it. 'This is your long-term strategy?'" Bendersky points to prohibitive costs as a major barrier. He described a recently vacated restaurant space where common area maintenance fees alone would cost $93 per square foot "before the rent eating starts."

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