Miami Lakes’ beloved watering hole, the Bend Liquor Lounge, celebrates its tenth anniversary this March. This marks a significant milestone for any dive bar in Miami, where many establishments frequently open and close.
It all started in February 2015, when longtime friends and business partners Mo Lacayo and Landy Lamas transformed the former Our Place Lounge and Liquors at 6844 NW 169 St. into what would become a neighborhood staple. Lacayo and Lamas, both architects who run Fortis Lamas Architects and Three County Construction, saw potential in the rundown space they had frequented in their youth.
Lacayo and Lamas discovered the opportunity to take over the space after, in very Miami style, seeing news of the previous bar being raided. After brief negotiations with the landlord, they quickly signed a lease, eager to transform the troubled spot into something new. The pair named their new venture after the big bend on the Palmetto Expressway located behind the lounge. Shortly after opening, New Times readers named the Bend Best Bar, West in a reader-voted award. Even more impressive? Over a decade later, the bar was named New Times’ Best Surban Bar in 2023…