Client
Cactus Club Cafe
Location
Miami, Florida
Sector
Hospitality & Guest Experience
Services Provided:
Design:
Interior Design
Physical Design
Lighting Design
Experience Design
Challenge
Journey partnered with Cactus Club Cafe to create its first Florida restaurant, bringing the Vancouver-born brand’s approach to elevated everyday dining to Downtown Miami.
The challenge was to create a Cactus Club that felt unmistakably rooted in its new setting. Set within Citigroup Center, the 11,500+ sq ft restaurant needed to retain the Cactus Club identity while responding specifically to Miami’s unique character: warm, expressive, and social, with an atmosphere that shifts effortlessly from daytime dining to late-night drinks.
Solution
Journey created a Cactus Club shaped by Miami and South Florida, drawing on the city’s artistic expression, vibrant social energy, and the state’s lush nature to create a setting that feels distinctive while staying true to the Cactus Club brand.
An imposing double-height glass facade gives the restaurant scale and visibility, inside, warm woods, textured plaster, leather, abundant greenery and layered lighting bring richness and intimacy to the dining room. Together, these elements create an environment that envelops visitors in Miami’s atmosphere, culture, and street life.
“The food, design and energy are on par with some of the best restaurants in North America.”
– Andrew Latchford, President, Cactus Club Cafe
Elevating the everyday
At its center, a sculptural timber bar forms the restaurant’s social heart. Two large trees rise through the space, creating a lush canopy overhead, while layered planting and organic timber forms draw on South Florida’s distinctive flora and fauna. Curved wooden furniture extends this natural language throughout the interior.
Together, the dining, lounge, bar and semi-private spaces seat 280 guests and offer Cactus Club multiple ways to serve different occasions and audiences, day and night.
Lighting follows the same expressive palette. Low-level illumination grounds the soaring interior, while focused highlights draw attention to food, artwork, and material details. Dynamic throughout service, the lighting helps the restaurant move naturally from business lunches and afternoon drinks into dinner and late-night hospitality.
Culture, art and eats
Three commissioned works by neo-expressionist Hunt Slonem sit alongside pieces by Marco Grassi and Rhys Farrel, bringing color and movement to the restaurant. Together, the collection provides an abstract response to Miami’s flora, people and visual culture.
That connection to place continues outside. An automated louvered trellis lets the terrace adapt to Miami’s changing weather, turning it into a genuine year-round hospitality space, with its own bar, planting, and artwork.
“One of the most polished and consistently enjoyable restaurant experiences in downtown Miami.”
Turning dining into a destination
Together, the central bar, restaurant, lounge, semi-private dining and outdoor terrace create several distinct hospitality and revenue opportunities within one connected experience. Open from lunch through to midnight or later, the restaurant was built to keep changing with its audience rather than serving just lunch or dinner.
The result shows how Cactus Club can evolve without losing its identity, creating a restaurant that belongs to its host city. In Miami, where dining increasingly sits at the intersection of hospitality, art, landscape and nightlife, the restaurant becomes as much a destination as a place to eat.
Press
“Cactus Club Cafe is Your New Default Downtown Dinner”
“One of the most polished and consistently enjoyable restaurant experiences in downtown Miami.”
“Pairs gorgeous looks with delicious food, creating an elevated vibe sure to be adored.”
“Redefines elevated casual dining in the heart of Miami.”