Join forces: New clubs give sailors a sense of belonging in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale was once a place where the wealth floated through on its way to somewhere better.Miami had the parties.

Palm Beach had society.Beyond the annual boat show and spring breakers, the Venice of the Atlantic Coast lacked the glue that comes with a sense of belonging.But suddenly, the money is staying, behind velvet ropes, as a private members’ club boom gives yacht owners a reason to linger in Fort Lauderdale.“Fort Lauderdale has changed, and so have the people who live here,” said local restaurateur Marc Falsetto.

“They travel, they know great restaurants, and they crave something refined.”Falsetto’s new restaurant, Caviar Club at 833 E.Las Olas, is an 80-seat steakhouse that opened this fall.

Its interiors are an ode to 1980s maximalism — but less “Miami Vice” and more burled walnut, brass fixtures and Dover sole filleted tableside.The design comes from New York’s Garrett Singer Studio, the firm behind Torrisi and Gary Vaynerchuk’s Flyfish Club.While Caviar Club is welcoming to the public, Falsetto said he has already sold out of “Founding 100” memberships.

Perks include a concierge-run reservation app with preferred access, a Hundred Acre wine library he claims is the largest outside of New York’s Polo Bar, a vault by the Macallan and reciprocity with other clubs through the booking platform Dorsia.Falsetto sold out of memberships in three weeks, and the waitlist now hovers around 300 applicants.“Everybody wants access right now,” said Falsetto.Across town, another development is taking a different approach.

Pier Sixty-Six, a 1950s resort and Fort Lauderdale landmark, was acquired by Tavistock Development Company in 2016 and quietly reopened in January 2025 after a sweeping renovation.Part of the property’s new era is the addition of a private club — with a hefty $75,000 initiation fee and $15,000 in annual dues.There’s also a hotel, residences, a marina that handles 400-foot yachts, 12 food and beverage outl...