Paya, the island-forward restaurant launched by chef Niven Patel and partner Mohamed "Mo" Alkassar, quietly shut down in early March after roughly 18 months on Miami Beach. The team served its final dinner service on a Sunday, and the doors closed for good the following day. Alkassar is hanging on to the 17th Street space and plans to roll out a new concept there next month.
According to the Miami Herald, Paya opened in September 2024 and operated at 1209 17th St. in Miami Beach. The Herald reported that Patel will not be involved in the upcoming restaurant and that Alkassar will run the next project on his own. The paper also noted that Paya had become known for seasonal block parties on its patio.
Feal Hospitality Doubles Down On Ghee And Atlanta
Ghee Indian Kitchen, Feal Hospitality’s Indian concept, has been the group’s fastest growing brand, with locations in Dadeland and Wynwood and a West Midtown Atlanta outpost reported last year. ToNeToAtlanta covered the Atlanta expansion, and the Ghee website lists multiple addresses for the brand. Alkassar told the Miami Herald, "we plan to make Atlanta our second home," adding that he hopes to bring Paya-style block parties back under the new concept on 17th Street.
What Paya’s Closure Means Locally
When Paya debuted, critics highlighted its island-leaning menu and the team’s focus on local seafood and farm produce, coverage that Eater Miami spotlighted at the time. With Feal Hospitality narrowing its attention toward Ghee and growth outside Florida, Miami Beach loses one of its newer island-forward dining rooms even as the group’s footprint stretches farther afield. Diners who miss Paya’s rum cake, tropical plates, and those patio block parties may see pieces of the concept resurface once Alkassar’s next project opens in the same spot.
