A Miami chef braves the pandemic reset, and emerges bolder than ever
By Brandon Feehan
In early 2020, no chef in America was prepared for a pandemic that would close well over 110,000 restaurants by January of this year, according to Fortune.
One eatery that has manage to survive and thrive is R House in Miami. That’s in large part due to the diligence and dedication of one man.
Meet chef Rocco Carulli. At 55, he’s the proud restaurateur behind R House, a spacious indoor-outdoor eatery and venue located at 2727 NW 2nd Ave in Miami. R house was one of the first three eating establishments opened in Wynwood art district, which has in less than a decade become one of Miami’s hottest venues.
“It was like, ‘Oh my god am I crazy?’ You know?” Carulli said with a laugh. “I had nothing; I had no right leasing a spot in Wynwood.”
Since claiming this space and putting his signature venue on the map, Carulli has dealt with Miami public health scares, hurricanes and a restaurant boom in Wynwood. Carulli even willed his business alive during a three-month shutdown due to the Zika virus in 2016. Then in 2017, Hurricane Irma hit.
“We were almost ready to give up, but if the universe gave us this, we have to keep it. We have to keep going,” Carulli said. “I was being broken down—and then the pandemic happened.”
With the business struggling to hit a positive and consistent stride, the COVID-19 pandemic served as a hard reset for Carulli. He used the first couple of months to relax and catch up on lost time with his husband Owen.
After a while, the restlessness and ultimate boredom of the pandemic spurred Carulli to focus on the next chapter for R house.
“So, what I decided to do is revamp. I took any savings I had and redid the yard. We dolled it up a bit and made it really nice,” Carulli said. “And I completely redid the menu.”
Carulli wants R house to feel like a new restaurant that even the most stalwart regulars will still love.
“We went for a Latin vibe; we had an American contemporary one before,” Carulli explained. “We just decided to rebrand ourselves for when we open so it feels like a new place.”
The arrival of vaccines and the lifting of the COVID-19 emergency orders have Carulli feeling as though his business is moving in a positive direction.
“This is our time to shine now, and we didn’t feel like that pre-pandemic,” he said.
Carulli works with a team which has grown ever closer in the months after the initial lockdown.
“The staff that we have right now have been working so hard even under the pressure of it all,” Carulli said. “The team has grown to be this family and we are in the trenches together.”
Like most business owners, Carulli received government assistance while navigating the muddy waters of the pandemic. However, Carulli believes that his restaurant will survive and thrive due to its deep ties to Miami LGBTQIA+ culture.
“We did our first drag brunch and it was a hit,” Carulli said. “I believe that we have become sort of a staple in the gay community.”
The first drag brunch was intended as Carulli’s birthday celebration in 2015. Everyone loved it so much that it’s now a staple every Saturday and Sunday at R House.
“Everybody loves it,” Carulli said. “Anybody who comes is blown away by it, it’s so much fun.”
Despite supplying an environment that is inclusive for all, Carulli noted new challenges he faces while running his restaurant.
“It’s the staffing issue that’s the problem now,” Carulli said. “I used to get at least 30 resumes anytime I put a cook ad out the first day. I get like maybe one a month now, and that’s no exaggeration.”
Carulli believes that the restaurant industry is being abandoned by people who want good pay while not exposing themselves to COVID and potential shutdowns. He also believes that unemployment is driving people to want to stay home rather than job hunting.
But staying home was never an option for Carulli. His family is one of cooks and workers who believe in the American dream. Carulli’s parents emigrated from Italy to New Jersey. They both worked in factories during the ‘70s and ‘80s to support the family.
Even after working long hours at the factory, both of his parents loved cooking.
“My parents loved to entertain when I was younger,” Carulli said. “It was always big barbecues and big feasts, it was all about cooking.”
Carulli is no different.
But Carulli, like many other members of the LGBTQIA+ community, struggled with his sexuality out of fear. After roughly 30 years, Carulli now celebrates what he once concealed, openly and proudly.
“My parents would be at work so there was this half an hour or so when I was home alone,” Carulli said. “I would always play cooking shows.”
Carulli is now the owner of a restaurant that celebrates what he thought he had to hide. Even his parents come and enjoy the food, extravagant shows and brunches.
As the pandemic declines Carulli’s advice to the world is simple.
“Just keep going, because stopping isn’t going to help,” Carulli said. “Whenever you’re going through a tough time just keep going, you will get to the other side.”
