Bar Lab and Broken Shaker Part Ways
The now iconic bars will continue to serve cocktails while their founders move on to new projects
In 2012, two bartenders opened a temporary bar inside a vintage Miami Beach hotel called the Indian Creek. The location wasn’t ideal — neither in trendy South Beach nor where the large resorts were further north, and the bar, with a footprint the size of a broom closet, spilled out to the pool deck more as a necessity than a planned thought. Although the idea seemed less than perfect, the results were nothing short of miraculous.
The little pop-up bar — named Broken Shaker by its partners Gabe Orta and Elad Zvi — was an instant hit with people who loved the chalkboard menu that changed weekly, the indoor/outdoor surroundings, and the bohemian vibe that was a welcome antidote to the South Beach nightclub scene. True to its word, the bar closed after its scheduled six-month stint but reopened at the same hotel in December 2012 — due in part to high demand.
In Broken Shaker’s dozen years, the bar has evolved, along with its surroundings. The old Indian Creek hotel turned into the Freehand — a trendy hostel that made it chic to bunk in the same room as strangers.
Broken Shaker also forever changed what hotel bars look like. Traditionally hotel bars fell into one of two categories — a utilitarian naugahyde place where weary travelers and clandestine couples could get a drink, or a schmancy pre-dinner lounge a la Don Draper in Mad Men. With its tropical shirt-clad mixologists serving libations made with fresh fruits grown on premises, the bar quickly became the most popular in Miami Beach — and was also lauded by the industry.
The bar won numerous awards, including Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Award for “Best Bar Hotel”, and North America’s 50 Best Bars. It was also named GQ’s “Best Bar in the Country”. The Freehand, its popularity fueled, in part, by housing Miami Beach’s most beloved cocktail bar, also encountered success.
Soon, the Freehand opened a location in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. There, in the lobby, was a Broken Shaker, offering innovative cocktails such as a Chicago Dog margarita and a Garrett’s Popcorn-infused Old Fashioned.
Broken Shaker also opened spots in Los Angeles, New York, and Madrid — all tied to the Freehand, which was purchased by London-based hotel company Generator and its parent Queensgate Investments for $400 million in 2019.
Last month, Generator purchased the Broken Shakers from Bar Lab Hospitality, along with Miami Beach’s 27 Restaurant & Bar and Los Angeles’ the Exchange restaurant.
In an Instagram post, Bar Lab announced the news, thanking all who passed through: “We’d also like to acknowledge every single staff member who made Broken Shaker, 27 Restaurant, and The Exchange Restaurant home to every customer who walked in those doors. You created the heart & culture that is #shakerlife. The friendships, the memories, and the parties will live on in our hearts and continue to shape everything that we do.”
Gabe Orta assured me today that all Broken Shaker locations will remain open — and will retain their levels of excellence. “Broken Shaker is not going anywhere and we wish Generator all the best with them,” he reiterated in a text even after we got off the phone — mostly because of some stories that make it seem otherwise.
Orta also explained the reason for the decision to part ways with Broken Shaker. “We have always been entrepreneurs in hospitality. We wanted to create different concepts. Everything ends and nothing lasts forever,” he told me.
Orta said that, although he and Bar Lab partner, Zvi, had an exit strategy, it proved to be more emotional than a simple business transaction. “It’s hard to leave something that you truly love. But, the time had come for us to do new things and I am confident that Broken Shaker is in good hands.”
Bar Lab Hospitality’s next move is already in motion — Margot, designed as a neighborhood cocktail bar, will open in South Beach this Fall. Bar Lab Hospitality already owns and operates Margot as a natural wine bar in Downtown Miami, and this new location will offer a full cocktail program and food. “Margot will receive an upgrade. This is a more mature version of her,” says Orta.
I mentioned to Orta that opening a neighborhood cocktail bar sounded like he and Zvi were getting back to the fundamentals of what they loved to do. When Broken Shaker first opened in Miami Beach, I would stop in for a drink and a chat — sometimes even asking the partners to create a cocktail on the spot for a story — like the time I arrived with a bag full of Easter candies that yielded a Cadbury Egg Old Fashioned. Orta agreed. “Through this journey, we realized that this is a people business. That’s one of the things that gave us purpose — not just to serve our customers, but to take care of our people.”
Orta added that the hospitality industry can be a stressful, high-wire act — especially for bartenders. “How do we bring hospitality to the next level? That’s one of my passions and my purpose. We want to provide a good space for the people who work with us.”
Indeed, many of Broken Shaker’s bartenders and chefs have gone on to do big things — opening up their own bars and restaurants and achieving their own accolades. “So many of our people have amazing careers now. Broken Shaker was more about a feeling and that’s why we loved it,” says Orta.
That culture also extended to Broken Shaker’s guests, who turned the little bar into one of the world’s best cocktail bars. “I think the cocktails were the icebreaker. You kept coming back for the setup and the people. You made lasting friendships here. A lot of people met here and got married. It was a place to connect and really let go of the world outside for an hour. That’s what hospitality is all about — it’s to be able to remove your ego and to really serve people.”
Orta says he’s fine with letting go of Broken Shaker. “The Shaker will provide the culture for the new generation of bartenders. That’s the pinnacle of our careers — to hand the torch to the next generation that wants to be part of the service industry.”