Rhea Francani Breaks into the country music world with a gusto...

VOL.4 NO. 3

GYORGY LAKATOS The Guitar King Surives Reception of Dignitaries

Silver Lining Awards

Prior 2 IPO Opens Office in South Florida

Cars on Fifth 17th Annual Car Show w/ Columnist Joe Freer

The Downtowner Roger Craft Interview

Marrying Millions Party a r OpeSouth

Florida OperaSouthFlorida.com LIVE Opera 2021

Networking at The Ritz March 15th, 2021

CLUB TV March 26th

MARCH 2021

FOUNDER | Jay Shapiro Luxury Chamber Media Group jay@southflorida.in Assistant to the Editor | Kolleen Poirier kolleen@southflorida.in Fashion Editor | Juliana LaBonte juliana@southflorida.in Travel Editor | Christina Ricci Business Editor | Cindy Ragan Real Estate Editor | Venus Proffer

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Gucci - GG Running Bracelet White Gold 2 carats $9650.00 JR Dunn Jewelers

Joe Freer, Frank LoRe Jr., Venus Proffer, Eirini Kalaitzopoulou, Suze Francois, Kris Victoria

PHOTOGRAPHERS Bruce Smith, Karel Grimberg & Ilmar Saar

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Gucci - GG Running Ring White Gold 2.38 carats $10,690.00 JR Dunn Jewelers

Celebrity Trainer Linzi Martinez joins Luxury Chamber South Florida Chapter Linzi is celebrity personal trainer and nutritional therapist. She is an award-winning television producer, host and actress and has been providing life changing information to her viewers, followers, and audience for over a decade. Linzi and her awarding winning health documentaries have been featured and seen on, ESPN, NBC, CBS, ABC, The Discovery Channel, Apple TV, FOX and more. As a published author, Linzi’s expert advice column can be read monthly in the local South Florida Lifestyle Magazine and she has been featured in WomenFitness, Muscle Magazine and more. Linzi is the CEO and host of Body on Fire Fitness and the Body on Fire Shapewear athletic line and fitness programs for women debuting 2021. Linzi has been providing life changing complimentary daily live fitness and nutritional information during the pandemic within a Facebook group called Inhome Fitness in effort to help women feel ridiculously alive and outrageously beautiful – the way they are supposed to feel! With the group growing to thousands, Linzi has recently been awarded Miami’s Lite FM League of Legendary Women and the Silver Linings Award for Female Entrepreneur with the positive impact during Covid 19.

FB: Linzi Martinez - https://www.facebook.com/linzi.altabet/ FB: In-home Fitness Group – (Join the Group!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/5DOWN FB: Happy Healthy Stronger - https://www.facebook.com/happyhealthystronger YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuUkBf6ZlQ8s1CzrlrXetUA IG – https://www.instagram.com/linzimartinezofficial/ Website: www.linzimartinez.com Glewed TV www.Glewdtv.com Phone: 561-699-7170

South Florida Charity of the Month - March 2021 SOAR - Society for Armenian Orphan Relief

Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale was generous enough to allow us to use some of their space for our March event honoring SOAR- Society for Armenian Orphan Relief. Guests and members of Luxury Chamber of Commerce were able to meet the board members: Marina Rakopyan, Shannon Tamburi and Tanya Raccobian.

17th Annual "Cars on Fifth" Auto Show

By Joe Freer The 17th Annual Cars on Fifth Auto show was held Saturday February 6th 2021 in Naples Fl. It’s a longstanding tradition organized by the Naples chapter of the Ferrari Club of America. The proceeds from the event go to St Matthew House and all the work they do to provide for the homeless and those in need in the South West Florida area. This years event did not disappoint. It was a gorgeous day with the bright Florida sun shining down, the atmosphere was hot and the cars were even hotter. The event featured over 650 cars which stretched up and down Fifth Avenue. On any other day the shops and boutiques would be the main attraction on this strip, but not today, today was all about the cars! More than one hundred and fifty Ferrari’s and other exotic, vintage muscle cars would be showcased along Fifth Avenue. The show attracts car enthusiasts from all across the country. fans traveled from as far away as Chicago and New York City for this amazing event. The show exhibited a wide variety of fine sports cars and vintage automobiles. The mood of the crowd was cheerful as attendees enjoyed the outdoors, listened to a live classic rock band, enjoyed Italian Ice and admired Italian sports cars. It doesn’t get much better than this. A highlight for the crowd was enjoying the sounds of Alex Fox, a Flamenco guitarist who entertained the crowd with his spirited rendition of “Barcelona Nights”. There was a little something for everyone at Cars on Fifth, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it and enjoy the experience!

Over 150 Ferrari's Were on Display

Contributing Columnist Joe Freer with 427 Super Sport

Reception of Dignitaries Silver Lining Awards - March 15th, 2021 - Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale

Rhea Francani is a South Florida teacher whose music has a mission. RHEA FRANCANI RELEASES NEW SINGLE; SUPPORTS SAVE THE MUSIC Country pop singer/songwriter/producer Rhea Francani is launching her new single I’m More with a philanthropic effort for Save The Music. Listen to I’m More here: rheafrancani.com. For each download of the song, debuted March 23 on all digital streaming platforms, VH1 Save The Music Foundation will receive a donation. The “Download To Donate” program is expected to generate thousands of dollars to improve music education in schools.

Francani’s highly anticipated new song follows her I’ll Go single that was released in July and has earned thousands of digital streams. Her newest single blends classic country with bluegrass, pop and rock sounds to create a distinctive country brand of music, style and fun. “I am humbled to be invited to support the amazing work that Save The Music does,” Francani said. “As a music teacher, I understand the vital role music plays in uniting communities and giving all children a shot at a brighter future.” Almost one third of American students don’t have access to a music education program.

Exclusive Interview with RC - Roger Craft How did you land in Ft. Lauderdale?

It was chance that brought me to Ft. Lauderdale. Although I had visited the city on numerous occasions, circumstances in 2012 led me to become a resident, and official Florida citizen. Urban legend has it that I purchased the Downtowner because of the great chicken tenders that I was served during my first visit to the restaurant. That legend is fact…to a degree. As a southerner, I do love friend chicken, especially fresh, scratch-made tenders. Finding the tenders delicious at my first visit, I told the server that they were so good, I will buy the Downtowner. He laughed and informed me that it was not for sale. Upon a subsequent visit couple months later, I again ordered those delicious chicken tenders, and as luck would have it, from the same server. He asked me if I was serious about buying the Downtowner. I said absolutely, due diligence ensued, and the rest is history! Although I maintain other residences, the energy and allure of Ft. Lauderdale, along with business interests, keeps me grounded here for most of the year.

What is the most rewarding part of being in the restaurant industry?

For me, it is the opportunity to meet, literally, thousands of folks, many of whom become friends.

With the diverse personalities of all the locals and tourists, it’s almost guaranteed that boring days do not occur. The restaurant/service industry is vibrant and always challenging. For existing restaurants, there is always the notion of what can be done better, how is relevance maintained, and how do you continually improve the working environment for all the associates. When considering new restaurants, there are many different concepts to consider given the various geographical locations, community demographics, and cultural interests. As a private company, I am proud to support the local economy, and give back to the community whenever the opportunity presents.

Will all your future restaurants be pet friendly?

To me, the joy of seeing pet lovers and their furry friends together is immense, so the short answer is yes…whenever the opportunity presents, and it is feasible to do so. I would like to have every single restaurant be pet friendly; however, there are various regulations that govern how the policy is enacted. So, we do all that we can to welcome pet visitors while following the rules and safety guidelines. I have a passion for animal welfare, and appreciate all the local support organizations that share that passion.

Ft. Lauderdale has seen changes. How has your experience been? Do you have plans for the area?

While I do not have a long history in Ft. Lauderdale, almost nine years, there are many observable changes…some that present opportunities, other that present challenges. The city has a much more cosmopolitan feel today with all the residential development downtown—thousands of new residences that will create more demand on the infrastructure, but also present greater business activity. The Historic Downtowner is an iconic spot surrounded by many new high rises, yet retains that old-school, “Key Westy” feel to it. Other than a few cosmetic enhancements here and there, I do not see that changing. Tropical and casual attire, including tees, shorts, and flops will always have a place in Ft. Lauderdale. Historic Dockers is right next door to the airport, so for many visitors it is their first taste of Florida. On the other hand, the growing cosmopolitan aspects of Las Olas and downtown Ft. Lauderdale, has tremendous appeal for cultural and business development. I am looking at several options to enter that market.

If you had to sum up the south Florida area in five words, what would they be?

Fun, great climate, diverse, sexy, opportunity