The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce will honor four distinguished members of the community while celebrating a historic 92 years as an organization at its Annual Dinner Gala and Silent Auction hosted by media personality Ana Quincoces and Chamber Chairman and SVP of Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust Michael S. Goldberg. Over 1,000 attendees will gather on Saturday, May 10th, at the glamorous Fontainebleau Miami Beach where the event will be held. This year, the fete will showcase the city’s vast contributions to films and productions throughout the years and party-goers will enjoy an entertaining evening of surprises along with an auction, dinner, dancing, and much more. Among the prestigious honorees is Mango’s Tropical Café owner David Wallack who will be receiving the Excellence in Tourism award, which recognizes individuals whose insight, leadership, and nobility have contributed significantly to the tourism industry in Miami Beach.
The Wallacks are among South Beach’s most respected families, having helped shape the city’s hotel industry and the Ocean Drive landscape. It began when Irving and Florence Wallack moved from New York to Miami Beach in the 1950s and opened hotels, first at 852 Collins Avenue and then at 900 Ocean Drive. It continued into the 1970s when Irving established Miami Beach’s first co-op conversion of apartments on South Beach. David Wallack took up his parent’s mantle of innovation and established the Eastern Sun, Florida’s first commercial-sized adult congregate living facility. He continued on the path of innovative entrepreneurship when he decided to relocate the Eastern Sun and turn the space into what is now known as Mango’s Tropical Café, a world-famous South Beach landmark drawing more than a million patrons a year.
Today, David’s son, Josh, is the chief operating officer of Mango’s and with its tropical rainforest décor and wait staff wearing leopard- print catsuits, all who enter this Tropical Café are in for a wild time, indeed. There is a reason Mango’s reigns as one of the leading nightclubs on SoBe and it’s for its unique Latin vibe. Tourists and locals flock to the hot spot to check out the waitresses dancing on the bar, hear the rhythmic music, and throwback some island-inspired drinks. They pump salsa, merengue, bachata, samba, and reggaeton until the wee hours and often feature a live band and dance shows.
Mango’s Tropical Café is located at 900 Ocean Dr. in Miami Beach and for more information, please visit www.miamibeachchamber.com.
