South Beach Food and Wine Festival celebrates a 25-year milestone.
BY ANETTA NOWOSIELSKA
It began, as these things often do, with a modest act of opportunism. A quarter of a century ago, Lee Brian Schrager—a young hospitality director—pitched a simple idea to Florida International University (FIU) to raise money for its hospitality program. A single tent, a few vintners, and the faint perfume of ambition hung over the Atlantic breeze.
For Schrager, the vision was initially simple: “When we started, there was no grand master plan,” he recalls. “It truly began as a one-day wine and food tasting that drew 7,000 guests to our tents on South Beach. I never imagined that small idea would evolve into a four-day Festival on the sands attracting more than 60,000 people each year.”
The moment the team realized the event was destined to be a culinary phenomenon came quickly. Schrager describes the feeling when the Festival moved to the beach: “The first time we moved to the beach in 2002 and watched thousands of guests line up under the tents, I realized we’d created something special. The energy was electric… That was the moment I thought, ‘Okay, this might be bigger than we ever imagined.’”
The Festival’s ascent was solidified around 2006 or 2007, “when national media coverage really took off and Food Network became our presenting sponsor. That partnership put us on the map and solidified SOBEWFF® as a must-attend event,” Schrager says.
The festival’s mythology is burnished by the world-class chefs it attracted, a task that demanded commitment. “Alain Ducasse was one of the first major chefs I convinced to come down, which was no small feat at the time,” Schrager notes, a testament that “relationships and integrity matter in this business—when you make a commitment, you follow through.” Other icons followed, from Giada De Laurentiis to Anthony Bourdain, who famously called it “the best party in America.”
South Beach itself gives the Festival its undeniable personality, acting as a decadent accomplice. Schrager asserts: “South Beach gives the Festival its soul. It’s colorful, high-energy, and unapologetically bold—just like Miami itself.” He contrasts the location with competitors: “Aspen has the mountains, Pebble Beach has the cliffs, and we have the sand, sun, and rhythm that make SOBEWFF® truly one of a kind.”
The festival also reflects Miami’s explosive culinary growth.
“When we started, Miami’s dining scene was still emerging… Now, we’re home to Michelin-starred restaurants, James Beard Award winners, and world-class chefs,” he observes. “Miami’s creativity and diversity have pushed the Festival to keep evolving—new flavors, new ideas, new stories to tell.”
This massive operation, with its estimated $35 million annual economic impact, has faced its challenges, enduring hurricanes and a pandemic. “Weather has always been our biggest challenge,” Schrager admits, but thanks to a resilient team, “the show always goes on—rain or shine.” Despite the industry’s pressures, the genuine “sense of family” among returning chefs and attendees remains his biggest surprise.
Now comes the Silver Jubilee. Schrager promises they are “pulling out all the stops,” with “a perfect mix of nostalgia and discovery—celebrating the chefs, fans, and partners who’ve made SOBEWFF® what it is today.” Looking forward, he predicts a lasting trend: “a focus on authenticity and sustainability—chefs getting back to their roots, sourcing responsibly, and celebrating where food comes from.”
Yet, for all the grand plans, Schrager remains monastic about the core mission. “It started as a fundraiser, and that mission has never changed,” he says, regarding the more than $45 million raised for FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. He praises the over 1,500 students who form the backbone of the event: “Seeing where they go from here is one of the greatest rewards of all.”
It’s a masterful strategy: turning a delicious coastal festival into a major classroom fundraiser, demonstrating that philanthropy and profit can be poured from the same perfectly chilled bottle of rosé.
