The Cypress Hall kitchen at Pinecrest Gardens has had no operating restaurant since August 23, 2025. That was the day Bohemian Spark Café ceased operations, according to the Village resolution that named its replacement. The replacement is Charisma, approved in October 2025. In September 2026 the Village Council authorized the Village Manager to buy the restaurant's furniture, fixtures and equipment directly, up to $100,000. That vote explains much of the wait. The Village holds a concession agreement that shares the restaurant's revenue, and it has now committed its own funds to fitting out the dining room.
From the 2024 Call to the September Vote
Each step below required a Village action, and the gaps between them account for the time.
- February 9, 2024. Pinecrest Gardens issued a call for a Cypress Hall restaurateur.
- July 2025. Community Newspapers reported Bohemian Spark Café open in Cypress Hall. It served breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday and brunch on weekends.
- August 23, 2025. Bohemian Spark Café ceased operations.
- October 14, 2025. The Village Council approved an agreement with Platea Group, doing business as Charisma.
- September 10, 2026. The Council approved buying the restaurant's furniture, fixtures and equipment directly, up to $100,000.
The September resolution says the purchase will help finish the restaurant "in accordance with the anticipated opening schedule." The resolution does not give a date.
The Village Went Back to Its Own Shortlist
When Bohemian Spark closed, the Village did not reopen the search. Bohemian Spark Café had been the top-ranked proposer under the earlier solicitation. After it closed, the Village opened talks with the second-ranked proposer, Platea Group. Going back to the shortlist cut out a new round of proposals. The new operator still had to negotiate terms and fit out a room built for someone else's concept.
The October 2025 resolution sets these terms:
- A 40/60 split of net revenue between the Village and the operator
- A 50/50 split of revenue from private-event catering on the premises
- A five-year term
- Up to two optional five-year renewals
The resolution does not say which side gets which share of the net revenue. The catering split is the more useful clue for Gardens regulars. The Village gets half of what the restaurant earns from private events on the property. That gives it a direct financial reason to want a kitchen that can serve the weddings, parties and concert nights the Gardens already hosts.
The $100,000 the Village Committed
The September 2026 resolution calls the arrangement a concession agreement under a "profit-sharing model." It says the Village committed $100,000 toward furniture, fixtures and equipment. The Council waived competitive bidding for the purchase, and the resolution gives two reasons. The first:
"the FF&E has been specifically selected and coordinated for the Cypress Hall space and restaurant concept, making the items uniquely suited to the project and not conducive to a traditional competitive procurement process"
The second reason is cost. Because the Village is tax-exempt, buying the equipment itself lowers the total cost of the project. The resolution says that benefits both the Village and Platea Group under the profit-sharing arrangement. The staff memo says Platea Group covers any cost above $100,000 through its revolving credit line.
So the room's furniture and equipment were chosen for one concept, and the Village authorized up to $100,000 in public funds to buy them, with the operator covering anything beyond that. That is a larger public stake than a simple rental arrangement would involve. It also explains why the paperwork reached the Council's consent agenda almost a year after the operator was chosen. The September 10 meeting advance listed the purchase as "Charisma, the new restaurant at Cypress Hall in Pinecrest Gardens."
Who Is Behind Charisma
Platea Group is the team behind Platea, the Pinecrest restaurant that calls itself a Peruvian-inspired prime steakhouse. Its founders are Chef Fernando Salazar and business partner Andrés Marmolejos. Miami New Times described Salazar as Platea's chef and co-owner. It said Marmolejos also works in meat distribution. Miami Social Holic reported that Salazar had previously led kitchens and managed at the corporate level for Darwin's on 4th, Pisco Y Nazca, Dr. Limon, Bulla Gastrobar and Ceviche 105.
No Charisma menu has been published. The closest guide is what the Village asked for when it began the search. The 2024 call for proposals described it this way:
"a vibrant gastro-pub/bistro spot where breakfast and lunch turn into memorable experiences, and brunch becomes a weekend highlight. As we evolve, envision pairing your cuisine with Pinecrest Gardens' evening concerts and special events."
That is the Village's plan for the space, not a confirmed concept from Charisma. The steakhouse concept at Platea does not mean Cypress Hall will serve the same food.
The Same Approach Now Runs Sunday Mornings
Cypress Hall is not the only Gardens food business on a long-term Village contract. On September 22, 2026, the Council approved an agreement for the management of the Pinecrest Farmers Market. The Village's meeting summary reports the approval. The operator is Miami Culinary Kitchen, LLC, with Susan Muci as manager. The draft agreement sets a three-year term with up to three one-year renewals.
Community Newspapers' October 20 profile says more than 80 vendors take part each week. The market runs Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Once a month Miami Culinary Kitchen adds a themed Sunday Funday. The same profile says readers of the Miami Herald's "Miami-Dade Favorites" named it Best Farmers Market in 2025. Together, the two contracts mean the Gardens' Sunday market and its future restaurant are both tied to the Village for years.
The Gardens lists the next market for Sunday, November 1, in the South Parking Lot at 11000 Red Road. In December, the market's Holiday Toy Drive collects for Radio Lollipop, which brings toys to children spending the holidays in the hospital.
The Season Arrives Before the Kitchen
The 2024 call asked for food that pairs with evening concerts. For now, the Gardens' Cypress Café page lists a Per'La coffee bar open daily from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The page is undated, so the hours may have changed. Here are the evening events already on the calendar:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Nov. 1 | Pinecrest Farmers Market, 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. | South Parking Lot |
| Saturday, Nov. 7 | Allyson Briggs and the Dan Gabel Big Band, 8 p.m. | Banyan Bowl |
| Dec. 4–27, select nights | Nights of Lights, 6:30–10 p.m. | Throughout the Gardens |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | Allan Harris, Nat King Cole Christmas program, 8 p.m. | Banyan Bowl |
| Saturday, Dec. 19 | Orquesta La Oferta honoring El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico | Banyan Bowl |
The two concerts are part of the Jazz at Pinecrest Gardens series. The December 19 show is part of Tropical Nights. Nights of Lights adds light displays, holiday entertainment, crafts, and Santa and the Grinch on select nights. Miami New Times covered the full 2026–2027 music season when it was announced in early October.
The Village's catering split is half of all private-event revenue at Cypress Hall, and its equipment purchase was made to keep an "anticipated opening schedule." Both point to a kitchen designed for the Gardens' busiest nights. When it opens, the Village will share in its revenue under the concession agreement.
Our team at Pine River Realty keeps track of how Village decisions like the Cypress Hall contract shape everyday life in Pinecrest. If you'd like to talk about life near Pinecrest Gardens, or what a year of changes on Red Road means for your own plans, book an appointment and we'll walk through it with you.
