Miami restaurant operators frequently describe rent as one of the biggest challenges of doing business in one of the country’s most expensive real estate markets.
That makes public records surrounding Gramps Getaway’s location on Virginia Key particularly striking.
Public records reviewed by The Floridian show Rickenbacker Marina reporting a “Rental Income” category to the City of Miami averaging just $4,787.52 per month from January 2025 through May 2026, with 40% payable to the City.
The City’s share based on that average would amount to approximately $1,915 per month, or about $23,000 per year.
The records do not identify Gramps by name. Separate state corporate records, however, identify Adam Gersten’s Gramps by the Sea Pop LLC at the marina address, 3301 Rickenbacker Causeway.
The numbers raise a straightforward question in a city where restaurant operators routinely contend with high commercial rents:
What does Gramps Getaway actually pay for its waterfront location on City-owned property?
A striking comparison from another Miami restaurateur
The question received additional context in a social media discussion about Miami restaurant rents. Miami-based commentator Linda Catalina (@wakeupwithlinda) discussed the Gramps rent issue in an Instagram reel.
Among those responding was Roman Jones (@theromanjones), founder of the waterfront restaurant Kiki on the River. Jones offered his own rent figure to put the issue in perspective.
“I pay over 100k month per location on the river. To put things into perspective.”
The statement represents Jones’s own description of his rental costs and is not an apples-to-apples appraisal of the Gramps property. Restaurant rents can vary substantially depending on location, square footage, improvements, lease structure, operating expenses and other factors.
But the difference between the two reported figures is substantial.
Jones says his Miami River locations cost him more than $100,000 per month each.
The “Rental Income” reported to the City for the Virginia Key property averages $4,787.52 per month.
And in April and May 2026, that reported rental income fell to just $1,540.28 per month.
What does Gramps actually pay?
That remains the central unanswered question.
Property information associated with the restaurant identifies a total building footprint of approximately 17,883 square feet.
Applying the $4,787.52 average across that entire footprint would produce an effective rate of approximately 27 cents per square foot per month, or $3.21 per square foot annually.
What is the exact square footage controlled by Gramps?
Is there a guaranteed minimum monthly rent?
Is rent calculated in whole or in part as a percentage of restaurant sales?
What other expenses is the restaurant responsible for?
And why did the reported rental income decline from $9,165.78 in January 2026 to $1,540.28 in both April and May?
Private bargain, public property
There is another distinction that makes those questions relevant beyond the restaurant industry.
Gramps Getaway isn't simply occupying waterfront property owned by a private commercial landlord. The restaurant operates at Rickenbacker Marina on City of Miami-owned waterfront property.
That means the financial arrangement ultimately affects what the City receives from the use of a public asset.
The contrast provides context for why the underlying agreement deserves scrutiny.
On one Miami waterfront, a prominent restaurant operator publicly says he pays more than $100,000 per month per location.
On City-owned waterfront at Virginia Key, records show average reported “Rental Income” of less than $4,800 per month.
The question now is what explains the difference.
