City Food Hall in Doral shut its doors for good on November 8, bringing an abrupt end to a four-year run at 9420 NW 41st Street. The closure was announced effective immediately, even as the company's planned eight-location Miami expansion — including a long-awaited South Beach outpost — remains in limbo.
A Sudden End in Doral
News of the shutdown came via Miami New Times, which reported that the food hall closed permanently on November 8. Oddly, the company's own location directory still listed the Doral spot as open as of November 9, one day after the closure was announced, according to the same report. The outlet also noted that La Llorona Mexican Food, one of the hall's vendors, confirmed the closure but gave no reason for it, adding that the business will keep serving customers at Smorgasburg Miami and Florida Fresh Markets.
City Food Hall Doral had operated for about four years, per the New Times account, after debuting under a different name. It was formerly known as Shoma Bazaar, opened by Masoud and Stephanie Shojaee — though sources differ on the exact opening month, with the Miami New Times placing it in March 2022 while the Miami Herald reported the venue opened in February 2022. The transition from Shoma Bazaar to City Food Hall appears to have happened in late 2025 or early 2026, based on business filings and inspection records cited by the New Times.
What Shoma Bazaar Once Offered
At its debut next to the Sanctuary Doral apartment complex, Shoma Bazaar launched with 15 food and drink vendors, including Pubbelly Sushi, Doce Provisions, and Shahs of Kabob, the New Times reported. Its main bar featured a 25-foot screen and cocktails developed by Bar Lab, while the outdoor space included a beer garden serving local drafts and two oversized sculptures inspired by the Shojaees' dog, Pebbles. The Doral Chamber of Commerce had welcomed the venue as a trustee member, describing it as featuring more than 11 culinary concepts.
The venue's history wasn't limited to its food scene. A 2024 lawsuit filed by 11 former Shoma Bazaar employees alleged they were underpaid by $225,451 through improper tip deductions while being paid below minimum wage for non-tipped work, the Miami Herald reported. A representative for Shoma Bazaar countered that the plaintiffs had sued the wrong entity, saying they were employed by Shoma Bazaar One LLC rather than Shoma Group LLC. The evidence reviewed does not establish a court finding or final outcome in that case.
South Beach Plans Still Unresolved
City Food Hall had planned to open eight locations across Miami, and one of the most closely watched was a South Beach spot in the former Time Out Market space, which had operated from 2019 until its closure in June 2023. A subsequent tenant, South Beach Food Hall, ran there from July 2023 before closing in January 2024. City Food Hall later announced it would take over the space, tapping local designer Camila Dulcetti to redesign it.
Reports differ on the scope and timeline of that South Beach project. According to The Real Deal, City Food Hall planned an 18,000-square-foot space at 1601 Drexel Avenue and was expected to open in summer 2026. The Miami New Times, however, described the space as roughly 20,000 square feet and reported the location was still listed as coming in fall 2026 with no specific opening date given. The Real Deal also reported that the Drexel Avenue property is owned by an entity led by Paul Cejas, chairman of PLC Investments and a former ambassador to Belgium.
The effect, if any, of the Doral closure on the South Beach timeline is unclear, and the evidence reviewed does not establish why the Doral location shut down. The South Beach project had been framed as part of a broader push to revive Lincoln Road, where The Real Deal described a recent leasing surge alongside a $29.4 million infrastructure improvement project the city of Miami Beach was undertaking, with the area's business improvement district supporting revival efforts through marketing.
