- facts
- design
- audio/visuals
The Opium Group is one of the country’s most successful hospitality conglomerates, operating Miami’s top four nightclubs; Opium Garden, Privé, Mansion and SET. A driving force behind South Beach’s ongoing cultural renaissance, The Opium Group has been heralded by Harpers’s Bazaar, Travel & Leisure, People, Time, The Miami Herald, and numerous other publications for drawing A-list celebrities and the international jet-set to Miami Beach.
Three visionaries with unique perspectives and expertise, owners Eric Milon, Roman Jones and Francis Milon create a tour de force of hospitality, design and ambiance. Together they have made an indelible mark on Miami Beach’s landscape, enjoying enduring success in an industry where longevity is rare.
A top model gracing the cover of GQ and the runways for Giorgio Armani, Paris-native Eric Milon moved to Miami in the early 1990’s. Lured by South Beach’s burgeoning modeling scene, Eric soon realized the need for a chic eatery to entertain the international photographers, fashionistas and gliteratti seeking South Beach’s idyllic Deco backdrop. In 1991, he opened The Strand restaurant to unprecedented enthusiasm, creating a buzz that Miami had not experienced in decades. The celebrity elite soon flocked to The Strand, and Eric was dubbed one of the original pioneers of The American Riviera’s rebirth.
Eric’s brother Francis Milon joined him in 1996, bringing the skills he honed working at Paris and New York’s top nightclubs. One of the fashion
world’s foremost photographers by trade, Francis’s business know-how, coupled with his eye for beauty created the ideal partnership. Their newest venture, The Living Room quickly became an icon, inspiring the numerous bars and nightclubs that now populate South Beach.
Shortly thereafter, The Milons joined forces with Roman Jones, a young entrepreneur who cut his teeth in the corporate hospitality market,
overseeing the expansion of the Taco Bell, Burger King and Domino’s Pizza brands. British-born and rock and roll bred, Roman completed the trifecta. Son of rocker Mick Jones, Roman used his business acumen to parlay this experience into a career as one of the leading nightclub operators in the country.
Featuring eye popping cherry-red sofas, black lacquered walls, lipstick-pink panels, and an "Alice in Wonderland" array of custom-designed chandeliers, Mokai features a Baccarat-inspired chandelier pit - a modern take on a traditional fireplace. Embracing modern New York sensibility and Miami joie de vivre, other eye candy elements featured in Mokai’s design include a collectors selection of art and fashion photography, and contemporary MOroccan lattice work.
Mokai’s grand showcase bar is the focal point of this hotspot, featuring a dramatic backbar display for bottles and glassware, and adorned with ornate floral arrangements and greenery. Guests are invited to sip a variety of spirits and champagnes at the bar, or servers donning La Femme Nikita attire and Mad Max-inspired uniforms provide VIP table service.
The DJ booth reign’s supreme at Mokai, where hip hop, rock and house music formats are spun by a celebrated collection of top DJs nightly. Frequented by celebrities Cameron Diaz, Tom Cruise, Lenny Kravitz and Gisele Bundchen to name a few, have all let loose in Mokai’s festive setting.
Mokai's top-of-the-line sound and lighting systems were custom designed to accommodate both casual conversations and full scale productions. Created to compliment Mokai's intimate setting, these systems accomodate a myriad of A/V needs.
Lighting technology features a compliment of different fixtures to create a variety of settings within Mokai, including Martin Mac 250 Krypton moving yoke fixtures, Martin MX-10 Extreme moving mirror fixtures, Coemar i-Spot moving yoke fixtures, High End Systems Trackspots, Martin Atomic 3000 strobe lights, elegant wall color wash proved by Color Kinetics Color Blast fixtures, light control via Martin Light Jockey with two universe interface, a Behringer BCF 2000 midi control surface and Elo touchscreen.
Mokai's state of the art sound system features Dynacored and JBL Dp2 speakers, a variety of EV CPS ampliphiers, a Bi Am AUdia Flex processor, and Technics, Pioneer and Rane DJ gear to accomodate a range of set ups.
