Miami — Opening 2026

The
Damel

Restaurant & Lounge

Where the rhythms of Africa
meet the soul of Brazil

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The Concept

Local Food.
Sophisticated Stage.

The Damel is Miami's first elevated Afro-Brazilian restaurant and lounge — a cultural destination that bridges West African and South American culinary traditions under one roof. By day, a refined dining experience. By night, a premium lounge where Afrobeats, Baile Funk, Samba, and live percussion set the stage.

The Damel brings an exceptional formula — extraordinary cuisine in a sophisticated environment — to Miami, where the cultural ingredients are perfectly in place and no competitor exists in this space.

"Damel" — the title of the King of the Wolof Empire. A name that carries royalty, cultural pride, and excellence.
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01 — Restaurant
Afro-Brazilian Cuisine
Full-service dinner with elevated sharing plates — Senegalese Dibi, Brazilian Moqueca, Argentine-influenced empanadas, and West African stews — all designed to be shared and celebrated.
02 — Bar Program
West African Cocktails
A premium cocktail menu rooted in cachaça, bissap, tamarind, and West African botanicals. VIP bottle service. A bar program that tells the same story as the food.
03 — Culture Hub
Afrobeats Nightly
Resident DJs spinning Afrobeats, Baile Funk, Samba, and Mbalax. Live percussion. Themed event nights. Private buyouts for 100–300 guests.
The Experience

Day to Night.
The Damel Transforms.

12 PM
Lunch
Elevated dining for Brickell's professional crowd. Power lunches. Business meetings. The full menu.
6 PM
Dinner
Full service. Sharing plates. Premium bottles. Groups celebrating. Tasting experiences.
10 PM
Lounge
The DJ drops. Lights shift. The floor opens. The Damel becomes something else entirely.
12 AM
VIP Culture
Private sections. Celebrity hosting. Afrobeats till close. The city's most distinctive late-night destination.
Chef Oumar Diouf
The Chef

Chef
Oumar Diouf

Chef Oumar Diouf is one of the most internationally trained culinary voices in American kitchens — a Senegalese-born chef whose career spans four continents and culminates in Miami, where his vision for The Damel is finally realized at its fullest.

His culinary foundation was built across Senegal, Argentina, and Brazil — where he discovered that 80% of Bahian cuisine traces its roots to West Africa. That realization became The Damel: the first restaurant to honor that lineage openly, on a plate.

In 2016, Chef Diouf led kitchen operations for 5,000 guests daily at the Rio Olympics. In 2017, he founded The Damel in Oakland, growing it to a multi-location brand. Today, he brings that same vision — elevated, sophisticated, and perfectly positioned — to Miami.

🇸🇳
Senegal
Roots & Culinary Heritage
🇦🇷
Argentina
Culinary Training · Restaurant Owner
🇧🇷
Brazil
Executive Chef · 2016 Rio Olympics
🌴
Miami, FL
The Damel — Miami Launch 2026
As seen in
East Bay Express
World Central Kitchen
Featured

The Afro-Brazilian Street Food King Of Oakland — Street Food Icons

The Location

Brickell,
Miami.

Brickell is Miami's financial and luxury dining district — the city's highest-income neighborhood and home to the Latin American offices of the world's largest corporations. It is where The Damel belongs.

Miami is the only U.S. city with the critical mass of African diaspora culture, Brazilian community, international luxury dining appetite, and year-round energy to support a concept like this. And no Afro-Brazilian restaurant currently exists in the entire market.

6.5M
Metro Population
#3
Richest U.S. City
130K+
Haitian-Origin Residents
0
Afro-Brazilian Competitors
Why Brickell
  • Highest concentration of high-income professionals in Miami
  • Corporate expense dining culture — Morgan Stanley, Citibank, KPMG and dozens of multinationals are neighbors
  • Restaurant-lounge format proven here — the market validates the concept
  • International business traveler audience naturally aligned with the brand's global identity
  • Year-round business — no seasonal slowdown unlike South Beach
  • Strategic location for private events, corporate buyouts, and cultural activations
The Opportunity

Join the
Movement

We are building Miami's first Afro-Brazilian restaurant and lounge — a first-of-its-kind cultural destination in the United States. We are actively seeking partners who share our vision.

Equity Investor
Equity Partner
Equity stake — terms upon discussion
  • Co-ownership of Miami flagship
  • Board advisory seat
  • Revenue share across all locations
  • First right on future city expansions
  • Recognition as Founding Partner
Strategic Partner
Strategic Partner
Revenue share + brand partnership
  • Hospitality, real estate, F&B operators
  • Co-branded events & catering
  • Preferred vendor status
  • Cross-promotional marketing
  • Ideal: hotel groups, event venues

All terms negotiable. SPV or direct investment structures available.

Contact

Let's Build
Together.

Whether you are an investor, a potential strategic partner, a building owner, or a member of the press — we would love to hear from you. The Damel Miami is actively seeking capital partners and location partnerships.

Location
Miami, Florida
Instagram
🌐

Home New

Miami · Coming Soon

The
Damel
Restaurant & Lounge

Miami’s first Afro-Brazilian dining and cultural lounge experience — where the rhythms of West Africa meet the soul of Brazil, in the heart of Brickell.

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Afro-Brazilian Cuisine  ·  West African Heritage  ·  Brickell · Miami  ·  Restaurant & Lounge  ·  Afrobeats · Baile Funk · Mbalax  ·  Afro-Brazilian Cuisine  ·  West African Heritage  ·  Brickell · Miami  ·  Restaurant & Lounge  ·  Afrobeats · Baile Funk · Mbalax  ·

Local Food.
Sophisticated Stage.

The Damel is a full-service restaurant by day, premium lounge by night — The cuisine bridges two great culinary traditions born from the African diaspora: the bold, spiced heritage of Senegal and West Africa, and the vibrant, sun-soaked flavors of Bahia, Brazil and Argentina.

“Where the rhythms of Africa meet the soul of Brazil.”

By night, The Damel transforms — resident Afrobeats and Baile Funk DJs, Samba, live percussion, VIP sections, and bottle service create a cultural destination unlike anything else in Miami.

01
Restaurant

Elevated Afro-Brazilian cuisine. Shareable plates. Bold flavors. Acarajé, Moqueca, Dibi, Thiéboudienne — dishes that carry centuries of culture.

02
Lounge & Bar

Premium cocktail program built on cachaça, bissap, tamarind, and West African botanicals. VIP sections, bottle service, private dining.

03
Culture Hub

Afrobeats Fridays. Brazilian Saturdays. Live percussion. Art Basel activations. Celebrity chef collabs. A stage for the diaspora.

04
Catering & Events

Private event catering from 20 to 500 guests. Corporate buyouts. Full venue hire. Backed by Olympic-scale catering experience.

Chef Portrait
Photo Coming Soon

Chef
Oumar Diouf

Founder · Executive Chef · Cultural Storyteller

With over two decades of international culinary experience spanning Senegal, Argentina, Brazil, and the United States, Chef Diouf brings a perspective on Afro-Brazilian cuisine that no other chef in America can replicate — because he lived it on three continents.

Chef Diouf is building The Damel’s next chapter in the city he now calls home.

2016
🇧🇷
Rio Olympics — Executive Chef Kitchen operations for 5,000 guests per day
2016
🇺🇸
Founded The Damel — Oakland, CA Food truck → brick-and-mortar → ghost kitchen
2017-2022
📰
National Recognition SF Chronicle · Travel Noire · KQED · SCORE Success Story · Vice Media
🌴
Miami — The Damel 2.0 Flagship launch

Day to Night.
Dining to Stage.

The Damel operates on a transformation model — a refined dining experience from midday through dinner, shifting seamlessly to a premium Afrobeats lounge as the night unfolds. Two experiences. One destination.

🌅

Lunch Service

Power lunches, business meetings, and neighbourhood dining. Elevated fast-casual energy with full-service standards.

🍽

Dinner Service

Shareable plates, curated bottles, tasting experiences. The full expression of Afro-Brazilian culinary tradition.

🎧

Lounge Mode

After 10PM the DJ drops, the lights shift, and the floor opens. Afrobeats Fridays. Brazilian Saturdays. Every night alive.

🌟

VIP Culture

Private sections. Celebrity hosting. Full venue buyouts. The Damel as a cultural platform.

Brickell,
Miami.

Miami’s financial and luxury dining district — where the city’s most ambitious restaurant concepts have proven the market for elevated dining and nightlife experiences.

Premium lounge section. Full liquor license. Open seven days a week. Present in Miami’s event circuit.

6.5M
Metro Population
#3
Richest U.S. City
24M+
Annual Visitors
$0
Afro-Brazilian
Competition

As Featured In
San Francisco Chronicle
Vice Media
Travel Noire
East Bay Express
KQED
Cuisine Noir
SCORE
7×7 Bay Area

Let’s Build
Something Historic.

For partnership, investment, and event inquiries — we’d love to hear from you. The Damel Miami is currently in its pre-opening phase and welcoming the right conversations.

Chef & Founder
Oumar Diouf
Instagram
@thedamel

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