Geoff Wexler, Javier Taboas, and Jose Rivera
Salza Grill, Club Q, South Beach

Hispanic Hip
A new concept of Latin fusion cuisine, coupled with an intimate, yet hot nightclub, is poised to set South Beach on fire and to start a chain of Latin-themed operations.

By Annette Wright

Is there room for yet another Ocean Drive restaurant/nightclub? According to partners Geoff Wexler, Javier Taboas, and Jose Rivera, the answer is definitely “yes.”

A friendship that started about five years ago in Orlando at Latin Quarter, a successful restaurant/nightclub located in Universal Studios, has converged into an alliance between three men ­ each a specialist in his own field ­ determined to make a difference in the already crowded SoBe scene with their new entries, Salza Grill and Club Q.

Spurred by his success at Latin Quarter, the unassuming yet sharply focused Wexler is the catalyst behind Salza Grill. The former CEO of Latin Quarter has extensive experience in the food and entertainment business. His resumé includes work at his own family’s restaurant business; and at Back Bay restaurant, a publicly-held restaurant out of Boston; as well as vast experience in operational consulting ­ doing concept analysis, review, and market studies for the restaurant, hotel and shopping mall industries.

Taboas and Rivera, also instrumental in the development of Latin Quarter, first met Wexler while both were employed at another Orlando-based Latin restaurant concept, Emilio and Gloria Estefan’s Bongos.

Rivera, an electrical engineer from Puerto Rico, initially worked on the engineering and construction side for Bongos, but was eventually put in charge of entertainment, handling the sound, the bands and the nightclub. At Salza Grill, he is overseeing the construction of “Q,” a state-of-the-art nightclub complete with the latest equipment in sound engineering and lighting.

A one-time professional baseball player, Taboas, who suffered a career-ending injury ten years ago, chose nightclubs as his second career. He learned the business at several clubs on his home turf, Puerto Rico, and then moved to Orlando, where he opened several of his own, until he was hired by Latin Quarter to develop the beverage and entertainment component with Rivera. At Salza Grill and Club Q, he trains staff, instilling a baseball team discipline into the restaurant and club’s 65 employees, and handles food and beverage.

When the entrepreneurial bug bit Wexler, he asked Rivera and Taboas to join him to start Salza Grill. With Efraín Vega of Yucca and Mayya fame as a consultant ­ “We wanted to get a local perspective from an experienced Cuban national,” said Wexler ­ and armed with backers from the Wall Street Investment Group, their goal is to open at least six units in the next three years. “Ten of the best people who were with us in Orlando asked to join us here at Salza Grill. They knew that eventually when we open number two and three Salza Grill, they’re going to be up for management positions,” says Wexler.

“To be a success, each individual needs ownership in their own area,” explains Wexler, a firm believer in separation of tasks according to areas of expertise, who oversees the entire operation. The three men, who work an average of 16 to 18 hours a day, confer on a daily basis to report to each other on everything: from the staff and the quality of the food served at the restaurant, to the marketing and budget decisions, and to their vision of future growth.

The diverse trio recently took time away from their busy schedules to talk to The South Florida Gourmet about Salza Grill, Club Q and their goals, over servings of seafood ceviche in a coconut shell, Napoleon of tostones, churrasco roulade with potato mash and chimichurri, and a memorable pumpkin flan ­ a recipe of chef Dario Olivera’s Puerto Rican mother.

The South Florida Gourmet: What does ‘Salza’ in Salza Grill signify?
Javier Taboas: It’s not Salza for the music we provide ­ it’s Salza because of the spice, the mix of people, the concept of Latin fusion in the restaurant.

SFG: Is it wise to bring a new Latin concept to a Latin town?
Geoff Wexler: Hispanic food is so mainstream now. It’s hip to be Hispanic. It’s in music, in movies, in TV, in food. This is the new Hispanic restaurant for the millennium. You’ll see some traditional dishes like paella, churrasco steak ­ but we meld it with international flavors. Like our delicate and beautiful 12 oz. Chilean salmon served with maduros and tabbouleh.

SFG: In what way will Club Q be different from other nightclubs?
GW: This place is for people who need a break from the mega-clubs. Crobar is a fantastic club, so is Level. We can’t compete with those clubs. What we’re offering is an alternative, an intimate space that is artfully decorated. By the end of an evening, you’re going to feel as if this is your home.
Jose Rivera: It’ll be more exclusive. The music is going to be different, not just salsa or merengue. We’re going to have Latin house, Brazilian house, reggae ­ all kinds of music.

SFG: The word ‘exclusive’ scares me. It reminds me of the cordoned-off clubs that select people by their looks.
GW: Exclusive means that we can only accommodate 300 people. So if you get in, you’re in.

SFG: Where does the name ‘Club Q’ come from?
GW: The name is based on Don Quixote, the dreamer, the visionary. That’s us. We’re dreamers, unknown entrepreneurs. We don’t care if nobody knows who we are. What we want is for people to know that this is Salza Grill and Club Q. SFG: Tell us about the concept. JT: We have three levels to our restaurant: the street, the terrace, and indoors. Anyone can come. GW: And we welcome everyone. If you want to come in a tuxedo, that’s fine ­ you’re going to have a great experience. But you can have that same great experience on the terrace in your wet bathing suit. Our business model is not tourist-driven. Salza Grill’s concept is fantastic food, great value and superior service. Our goal is to make this a second home for locals. It’s a great value component, and a great marketing tool. Both businesses complement each other. When you dine here, you can go for an after-dinner drink at the club, then stay and dance at no cover charge. Later, you might come back to the restaurant for dessert. So I’ve captured you for quite a period of time. If you come to the nightclub, I will give you some promotional item to try the restaurant. SFG: It’s really a multimedia experience. GW: Yes, well said. Consumers are much savvier then they used to be, and I think we address many of their needs. Jose has a complete studio and mixes his own music, which is part of our future success. He will be in the studio making the music, and say, you’re working in our Los Angeles unit ­ you’ll have a library of music that you can download off our network. And when our web site is complete, you’ll be able to have an interior web cam view in Club Q and be able to hear and download audio tracks.

SFG: Are you already building in other locations?
GW: Not yet. We’re looking on the West Coast and closer to home in Palm Beach. Just as we have been conservative in launching this concept, we’re going to be conservative in our growth strategies. This is everything to us. We need to develop our people, keep our menu on the cutting edge. It’s important. It’s the cornerstone of what we do.

Annette Wright is assistant editor and a contributing writer of The South Florida Gourmet.