Miami, Florida is known for its beaches, legendary nightlife and hospitality scene, and various restaurants along South Beach. The various luxury automobiles leave tourist in awe as they drive by or are parked on the street. The locals are a little harder to impress after being accustomed to seeing such sights on any giving day. Every day is another moment that you can sneak into a little restaurant or cafe and run into numerous celebrities trying to get away from the daily hustle and bustle of their lives. Some restaurants standalone and others are connected to luxury or boutique hotels. These areas host vast numbers of people, tourist and locals alike, all looking to try and experience new dishes and relaxing.

One of nightlife’s legends, Patrick Lebrun, has taken over as General Manager of Limonada Bar + Brunch in Miami on Washington Street. Patrick is no stranger to hospitality as he was an active part of the Philadelphia nightlife community for many years while starting from humble beginnings. Moving down to Miami in September of 2018 he applied to various positions to start a new life for himself and get a change from his day to day in Philadelphia. After about 3 months Think Hospitality saw his past achievements and his full potential and decided to give him the position of General Manager in one of their latest endeavors is Limonada. Limonada is attached to one of Think Hospitality’s boutique hotels The Clinton. To understand a little more about what Patrick does on a day to day we sat down with him at the restaurant.

Classic Entourage Mag: Thanks for sitting down with us! Give our readers a little more information about yourself.

Patrick Lebrun: In the beginning I started off doing facilities management in Philadelphia for about 12 years. I went on to start doing hospitality jobs on the side for some extra income. First I started at Penthouse on Caster Ave in Philadelphia moved onto Rumor and was there for about 4 years. After that I started working for a few clubs in Philadelphia when I decided I needed to get out of the area in order to grow. I needed a change and a new chapter for my life.

Ce Mag: How did the interview for Limonada go? Obviously it went well because you have the position but how did the process end up happening?

PL: I was called in to do an interview for the position with the food and beverage manager and it went really well. Instead of having me come back another time I was asked if I could wait about a half-hour to meet one of the owners. When he arrived we hit it off right away and I just hit the ground running once I came into work. To celebrate I had a beer after the interview.

Ce Mag: What attracted you to the position in the first place?

PL: I like hospitality a lot because I like dealing with people. It’s not like I have to sit in a  cubical or a desk all day. I get to interact with people. When this popped up I applied and then scheduled an interview.

Ce Mag: What is something you would like to see change in the hospitality industry? In Philadelphia specifically? Miami? In general?

“Philadelphia has become a carousel.” – Patrick Lebrun

PL: The pretentiousness of all these places and characters in the seen. People you have known for years you can see and they’ll act like they don’t know you. Regarding Philadelphia, it’s the same stuff all the time; it’s a very rinse and repeat formula. What I tell people back home is that nightlife in Philadelphia has become a carousel. For example the same 5 DJs are on the rotation around the city. In Miami I can’t put my finger on the button yet. It is starting to change though because of places such as places like Wynwood.

Ce Mag: Coming from Philadelphia down to Miami must have been a huge change. What differences have you noticed between the two city nightlife mecca’s since you been here? Anything you miss from Philly that you wish was in Miami?

PL: I miss the people I met and the relationships I’ve made but as for Philly nightlife there isn’t really anything I don’t get down here. On top of that I can go to a Walgreens and buy a drink if I want to and if I want to go out I can go somewhere that is open till 2 or even somewhere that is open to 5. Philadelphia doesn’t have as many options as it used to have especially with clubs constantly opening and closing. Philly will always be home though.

Ce Mag: For people who are just starting out in the industry what advice would you give them? Especially people who get caught up into a certain lifestyle very easily?

PL: If you have an addictive personality I would just watch who you would hang with and trust. Just be careful with who you work with. You can really fall into bad habits. It can be very cut throat especially because you’re always dealing with money. Don’t be too trusting.

Ce Mag: How did you overcome some of those obstacles?

PL: To be honest. My girlfriend. There was a point I was in a bad place; partying too much and sleeping too much. Up until the sun came up due to drinking a lot. Once I got out of that fog I started seeing people for who they are. Once I broke out of this I began to see people in a different light and realized that some people weren’t who I thought they were.

“Once I broke out of this I began to see people in a different light and realized that some people weren’t who I thought they were.” – Patrick Lebrun

Ce Mag: Are there any places in Miami that you would recommend travelers go other than Limonada?

PL: Keybiscayne. It is filled with parks and beaches that are a little more secluded then South Beach. Go to Wynnwood and check out the art.

Ce Mag: Anything else you would like our readers to know?

PL: (Jokingly) I would like to proofread before you go hahaha

Limonada is located at 825 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139