Almost seven years after legendary South Miami bar Fox’s Sherron Inn closed its doors, the beloved dive bar and restaurant will reopen to the public on Friday, July 29, with new owners but the same look and feel. The revival is courtesy of local hospitality group Lost Boy & Co., the team behind namesake Lost Boy Co. and Tropezon, who have spent the last few years working on bringing the bar back to its original South Miami location.
A little refresher: In July 2015 it was announced that Fox’s, which had been a mainstay in the restaurant and bar communities in Miami since 1946, was closing for good to make way for a new mixed-use complex. According to an interview earlier this year with the Lost Boy Co. team, that new complex never really happened and the space stayed the same structurally, just remodeled and updated, so they decided to take it over and bring the bar back to life.
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The Lost Boy & Co. team, spearheaded by Chris Hudnall and Randy Alonso, got to work by researching old historic photos, connecting with former regulars, employees, and families of previous owners to gain insight into the history of the original Fox’s in order to properly recreate the space. The team has created a seemingly identical look and feel to the original Fox’s with wood-paneled walls, red leather banquette booths, captain’s swivel bar chairs, and a black and white striped floors that mirror the bar’s awning. The group also went as far as to commissioned artwork to replicate signature pieces from Fox’s such as hand-painted signage and the famous plane painting.
The original Fox’s, which opened in 1946 and was coined the “darkest bar in Miami,” and this iteration of the space maintains the same level of darkness with red lights. The only source of natural light comes from the old drive-thru window that was once attached to the liquor store now looks into an isolated corner booth made for large parties and groups.
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“We understood the need to take a different approach when it came to Fox’s,” Alonso says. “I remember when we first walked the property, Chris turned to me and said this is going to be the hardest thing we’re going to do because people have memories of Fox’s. They’ve met their spouses there, they’ve celebrated milestones. There’s gravity in making sure it lives up to all that.”
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The menu at Fox’s Sherron Inn will go untouched with the return of favorites like Tuesday and Thursday Prime Rib nights, thumb bits (tenderloin medallions served on toasted French baguette rounds with Fox’s special sauce), and the beloved French onion soup. The cocktail list features a few changes, but visitors can still expect all the classics including martinis, Manhattans, and a large selection of beer, wine, and bubbles.
The beverage program will expand into the soon-to-open Sherron Inn Liquors, the counterpart to Fox’s lounge that faces the US1 side of the building, and is the only change from the original layout. At Sherron Inn Liquors, customers will find a selection of wines and spirits, and a tasting room on the second floor which will be available for private events. The liquor store is slated to open its doors later this summer.
Fox’s Sherron Inn is located at 6030 South Dixie Highway in South Miami and will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. beginning Friday, July 29. For more information visit here.