The Gstaad Guy sits down with David Grutman, founder of Groot Hospitality and the man many consider to hold the keys to Miami, to explore what it really takes to build places people never want to leave. From working the door to opening Komodo in a space his own friends called dead on arrival, David reflects on a career defined by reading people, spotting trends before they surface, and the conviction that the real reward is not the money but the look on someone's face after a great night.
The conversation gets into why festive beats formal in a restaurant, what makes someone a great guest, and how he tells the difference between genuine warmth and someone working an angle. David speaks candidly about playing the long game with people who let him down, the investments that failed alongside the ones that worked, and the wife who calls him a broken butterfly for the boundaries that keep him whole. Warm, perceptive, and refreshingly honest about his own ambition, it is a conversation about hospitality, loyalty, and why taking it personal might be the whole point.
Filmed at David Grutman’s Miami home.
Chapters:
(00:00) Intro ✨🎙️
(01:34) Holding The Keys To Miami 🌴🔑
(03:26) Reading People And Spotting The Angle 👁️🎯
(06:43) Setting Trends By Watching The Underground 🔍📈
(08:48) Komodo, Brickell And A Restaurant Everyone Called Dead On Arrival 🐉🍽️
(12:55) Why Festive Beats Formal In A Restaurant 🎉🍽️
(15:59) Mentors, And Why He Refuses To Be One 🚫🎓
(17:50) Take It Personal, And Playing The Long Game 📖⏳
(20:54) How To Be A Great Guest 😊🌟
(22:35) FOG, Friends Of Grutman, At The Door 🚪🤝
(24:16) Ambition, Marriage And The Broken Butterfly 💍🦋
(32:25) Investing In Olipop, Symbiotika And The Deals That Failed 💰📉
(37:35) Writing The Book And Learning Gratitude 📖❤️
(42:35) The Verbal Tip Nobody In The Industry Wants 🗣️😏
(45:07) À La Poubelle vs. Fantastique 🗑️✨
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