Coney Burger is closing its downtown Miami restaurant at 1306 N. Miami Ave. on November 30, the owners announced Tuesday, Nov. 10. Chef Pedro Lara and his wife, Vanessa Lara, said the move is coming sooner than they expected.
The couple said rising competition for commercial space made it hard to keep an independent restaurant running. “Miami is home to the highest bidder, and we are not the highest bidder,” Vanessa Lara said in an Instagram video. “We just want to make a damn good burger.”
The restaurant began in 2022 as a pop-up at Smorgasburg Miami and built a following for its Wagyu burgers and plant-based options. It won Smorgasburg’s Burger Battle and took New Times’ Best Burger award in 2023 before becoming a brick-and-mortar spot. In June, the couple launched a World Burger Series with chefs from different countries.
The Laras have not announced a new location or reopening date. Vanessa Lara said the couple is praying for new doors to open. Customers can visit the Miami Avenue location until the closing date.
