Latest news with #RobertRivani
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Robert Rivani lands Playboy HQ for Miami Beach office building
Playboy will take its ongoing makeover from Los Angeles to Miami Beach, as the once-iconic brand is moving its headquarters to Robert Rivani's office building. PLBY Group, the Los Angeles-based publicly traded company that owns Playboy magazine, its website and its trademarks, is moving its roughly 250-employee operation into a 20,000-square-foot penthouse office suite at the Rivani, a seven-story mixed-use building at 1691 Washington Avenue that is currently undergoing a $100 million renovation, a press release states. Playboy signed a 10-year lease with a corporate guarantee, a spokesperson for Rivani said. Tony Jones with Cushman Wakefield represented Playboy, and Jeremy Hakala with Newmark represented the landlord. The new star tenant is expected to move in next year when the renovations are completed, the spokesperson said. Rivani, founder of Miami-based Black Lion, bought a ground lease as well as the building, formerly known as The Lincoln, for $62.5 million last year. The land underneath is owned by the city of Miami Beach. Black Lion recently changed its name to Rivani, the release states. As part of the move to Miami Beach, Playboy is also planning a content studio for its online creator network and a new members-only Playboy Club in Miami Beach 'with a leading hospitality company,' the release states. Playboy did not comment on the name of its members-only club partner. The facility would feature a restaurant and a members-only space inspired by the Playboy Mansion, the former Los Angeles home of the brand's late founder and longtime editor-in-chief Hugh Hefner, who died in 2017. Since before Hefner's death, Playboy has been in decline, a reflection of the overall decimation of the print magazine industry. PLBY Group ceased production of the monthly men's lifestyle magazine, while the company has struggled to keep up with online competition from other adult content companies and streaming platforms such as OnlyFans. In February, Playboy published an annual edition of the magazine. A majority of Playboy's revenue is derived from brand licensing. In the second quarter, PLBY Group reported $28.1 million in total revenue, largely due to a 105 percent increase in licensing revenue, an earnings report states. In recent months, Rivani has sold portions of its restaurant portfolio. In May, the firm sold a space at the SLS Lux Brickell leased to Gekkõ, a Japanese steakhouse owned by musician Bad Bunny and Miami Beach-based hospitality mogul David Grutman, and a space at Dua Miami Hotel leased to Mexican restaurant RosaNegra Miami. The combined sale price was $38.2 million. In January, Rivani sold a commercial building in Miami Beach's South of Fifth neighborhood for $28.2 million. That property is leased to seafood restaurant Catch. This article originally appeared on The Real Deal. Click here to read the full story. Sign in to access your portfolio
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Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Playboy is returning to Miami Beach with plans for a club and a new headquarters
Playboy, the company best known for its magazine centerfolds and bunny logo, had a major presence in South Florida in the 1960s and '70s with a club and a hotel. Now, the brand is coming back to town. Playboy has signed a lease to move into the penthouse of a new luxury office building in Miami Beach called Rivani. The company will move its corporate headquarters from Los Angeles into the building at 1691 Michigan Ave., near Lincoln Road. Playboy called it a strategic move in an Aug. 13 statement, and said it underscores the 'brand's next chapter with expanded hospitality offerings, advanced content studios and renewed cultural presence.' Along with the office relocation, the company is developing a new Playboy Club in Miami Beach, including a 'world-class restaurant' along with 'an exclusive members-only space inspired by the storied Playboy Mansion.' eveloper Robert Rivani said he expects Playboy's new office to be ready tby mid- 2026. t Playboy described Miami Beach as 'one of the nation's most dynamic, culturally relevant, and business-friendly cities.' The Rivani commercial complex offers a mix of wellness, design and hospitality businesses. Robert Rivani said he has injected over $100 million into the development, which features a spa, wellness center, living room-style meeting space, Japanese restaurant and speakeasy. The new tenant plans content studios in its new headquarters 'to support Playboy's growing creator network.' This will allow the production of multimedia across digital platforms, including podcasts, photography and other media ventures. 'Our vision is to create world-class content and experiences that resonate globally,' Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy Inc., said in a statement. He sees Miami Beach as 'the ideal home for Playboy's next chapter.' In 2020, Playboy ceased publishing its monthly print magazine, founded in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and once the most identifiable part of the brand. In 2015, the magazine, also known for its in-depth articles along with the centerfolds, stripped the nudity from its pages. Even with the changes, the Playboy brand accounts for $3 billion in annual consumer spending across the world — that's a lot of logo licensing on shot glasses, keychains and clothing. And this year, Playboy even returned to publishing an annual print magazine. The plan to open a headquarters and club is a return to an area where Playboy once had a major presence. The Playboy Club, with its bunny barmaids, opened in 1961 at 77th Street and Biscayne Boulevard in Miami. The site, across the street from an adult theater, is now an auto supply shop. The club moved to an inn near the airport, but didn't last there long. n 1970, the company invested millions to open a Miami Beach hotel, the Playboy Plaza. /he building, in the 5400 block of Collins Avenue, is now known as the Castle Beach Club./ In addition to the club and hotel, Playboy trailblazing Playboy photographer Bunny Yeager found bunnies all over Miami, including pinup Bettie Page, as she put the 305 in the magazine's centerfold. Tragically, some celebrated Playmates, like 1993 Playmate of the Year Anna Nicole Smith, and Miss February 1977, Star Stowe, lost their lives in South Florida. So, what kind of Playboy can South Florida expect when the company returns? Kohn, the CEO, may have foreshadowed that five years ago in a Medium post announcing the shutdown of the print magazine, Kohn gave some hints of what could be part of the company's planned 'content studios.' He cited live events they held with audiences on cannabis advocacy, female sexuality in the arts and the future of masculinity. He also mentioned they held the first sessions of 'The Playboy Interview Live' and revived the Playboy Advisor column in a more social media-friendly digital series 'providing millions of viewers with the sex-ed we wish we'd had.'
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Person Transforming Miami's Dining Scene And Redefining The City's Global Appeal
Robert Rivani in front og SLS LUX In a city that welcomed a record-breaking 142.9 million visitors last year, Robert Rivani is not just riding the wave of Miami's tourism boom—he's helping to shape it. The founder of Black Lion is considered somewhat of a disruptor in South Florida's commercial real estate space, scooping up unloved, underperforming properties during the height of the pandemic, when much of the world believed hospitality was on the brink of collapse. Over the past few years, Rivani has transformed those underutilized spaces into some of Miami's most magnetic dining destinations, helping fuel the city's evolution into a global culinary hotspot. 'The future of Miami is undeniably bright, this is a city writing its own chapter at an extraordinary pace,' said Greg Galy, Founder & CEO of Riviera Dining Group, behind several wildly popular and buzzy hospitality concepts including MILA, the second top independent grossing restaurant in the country. 'Robert has been instrumental in reshaping the city's dining landscape by attracting acclaimed restaurants and reimagining key spaces, he's elevated the region into a hub for luxury and experiential dining.' Rivani's portfolio of tenants includes celebrity-favorite names like Delilah, CATCH, GEKKŌ, and RosaNegra—all brands that attract international clientele and anchor Miami's culinary credibility. Go to TripAdvisor or Eater, and you'll find thousands of glowing reviews, many citing them as 'must-visits' and 'trip highlights.' Reservations are often booked weeks in advance, and celebrity sightings are common. From the 1920s supper club vibe at Delilah Miami complete with live jazz and velvet-clad interiors (famous fans include the Kardashians and Drake), or the open-air rooftop glamour of CATCH Miami Beach, where seafood towers meet skyline views–these are places where travel itineraries revolve around the reservation time. According to Rivani, the restaurants aren't just attracting locals—they're luring tastemakers and travelers from New York, the West Coast, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. "For me, it's never just about filling space or collecting rent, it's about identifying marquee brands that elevate the entire neighborhood,' says Rivani. 'We're building destinations that draw global attention. Every tenant we bring in acts as a catalyst for cultural and economic growth, contributing lasting value to the area." Over the past few years, Rivani has amassed and now begun selectively selling off a portfolio of over $100 million in South Florida commercial real estate. He recently closed a landmark $38.25 million deal for the Brickell spaces leased to GEKKŌ and RosaNegra–both which will remain operating. The property where CATCH Miami Beach is located traded for a record $28.2 million. Rivani says it's validation for his vision, and a clear sign that Miami has firmly secured its place on the global stage.
Los Angeles Times
31-01-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Black Lion Investment Group Sells Miami Beach Restaurant to River Oaks Properties
Los Angeles-based real estate owner and operator Black Lion Investment Group sold Catch Miami Beach Restaurant to El Paso-based River Oaks Properties for $28.2 million. The restaurant was developed by Robert Rivani of Black Lion, who purchased the 23,000-square-foot property in the upscale South of Fifth neighborhood for $11.5 million in 2022. The restaurant, which opened its first location in New York, signed a 15-year lease and opened last year. Rivani's firm owns several other properties in the Miami area, including an office building that is under construction and will deliver premium amenities such as a spa, meditation room, fitness center, salon and a podcast room along with a Japanese restaurant. It was acquired for $62.5 million and has a $50-million construction budget.
