Trump National Jupiter, Benihana, Soho Beach House lay off hundreds

More South Florida restaurants and hotels have laid off staff, due to the lingering financial impacts of coronavirus.

The Trump Organization’s Trump National Jupiter Golf Club at 115 Eagle Tree Terrace in Jupiter furloughed 92 employees, according to a WARN Notice filed with the state. The golf resort has put all non-essential employees on furlough status. Previous WARN notices had shown that hundreds of employees also were furloughed at the Trump Organization’s Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach and at its Trump National Doral golf resort.

The Japanese steakhouse Benihana laid off 465 employees throughout Florida, according to WARN Notices filed with the state. In South Florida, the Aventura-based restaurant chain laid off 42 people at its restaurant at 9918 Glades Road in Boca Raton, 63 people at its restaurant at 276 East Commercial Boulevard in Lauderdale By The Sea, and 51 people at its restaurant at 1695 North University Drive in Coral Springs.

Soho Beach House at 4385 Collins Avenue in Miami Beach laid off 34 people. The property features a member’s club, a spa and a beach bar along with 49 hotel rooms. Soho House has over two dozen clubs throughout the world and is led by American billionaire investor Ron Burkle.

South Florida hotels have been hit hard by coronavirus, as many have been forced to shut down. Earlier this month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a statewide stay-at-home order, requiring all non-essential businesses to shutter. The order followed previous decisions by individual counties and municipalities, including in some cases, ordering hotels to close.

During the week of April 12-18, Miami hotel occupancy dropped to 20.3 percent, down from 65.6 percent March 8-14, according to the hotel data provider STR. Revenue per available room fell to $20 from $146, during the same time period.

The latest layoffs follow 655 layoffs the state reported earlier this week. JW Marriott Marquis Miami and Boulud Sud in downtown Miami, the JW Marriott Miami on Brickell Avenue, Nobu in Miami Beach, and Miami International Airport restaurants all filed WARN notices with the state.

Last week, additional WARN notices released revealed that South Beach Hotel Group, led by longtime Miami Beach hotelier Alan Lieberman, laid off over 700 employees at 13 of its 16 boutique Miami Beach hotels, including the Catalina Hotel, the Harding Hotel and the Riviera Loft Hotel.

The hotel industry is also facing over $4 billion in debt payments on commercial mortgage-backed securities loans. The loans are harder to restructure than conventional loans and are more likely to head to foreclosure, according to industry experts.