Soyka, Mark interview

Permanent Link:: http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dpService/dpPurlService/purl/MBVM000014/00001

Material Information

Subjects / Keywords:: Oral histories -- Miami Beach (Fla.)
Hospitality Industry -- Food Service -- United States -- Florida -- Miami Beach
Versace, Gianni
Genre:: Video Recordings
Spatial Coverage:: United States -- Florida -- Miami Beach
Coordinates:: 25.790169 x -80.139055

Scope and Content:: Mark Soyka created what is probably the most famous eatery on South Beach, the News Cafe. He modeled it after the sidewalk cafes of his native Tel Aviv, complete with newspapers and magazines from around the world. He established the cafe when there were few places to eat on South Beach and it was starting to become a center of international photography. Soyka wanted to attract an international crowd of models, stylists and photographers to a place where customers could stop in for a coffee or a meal and hang out 24 hours a day. The most famous customer was Gianni Versace, renowned fashion designer, who was killed on Ocean Drive after leaving the News Cafe, his usual breakfast spot. Soyka talks about his friendship with Versace, Versace's incredible residence just doors down from the cafe, his admiration for developer Tony Goldman, and many others. Soyka went on to open restaurants in the Van Dyke on Lincoln Mall, which he sold, and the popular Soyka near the Design District.