Fort Lauderdale restaurateur continues growing a portfolio spanning steakhouses, taco bars, and rooftop lounges across Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL / ACCESS Newswire / August 25, 2026 / Jay Shirodkar, founder of Shirodkar Industries and Room 7, has built one of South Florida's most distinctive hospitality portfolios, a collection of restaurant and nightlife concepts united by a single approach: honor a space's history while transforming it into something entirely new.

That philosophy is most visible at Jay's, Shirodkar's flagship steakhouse concept in Fort Lauderdale's Flagler Village. Housed inside a restored 1920s church with a stone facade, arched windows, and historic stained-glass windows, Jay's pairs tableside prime rib, Wagyu steak tartare, and saffron-poached lobster mac with a moody, candlelit atmosphere and live entertainment.

The building opened in 1922 as St. Anthony's, the first Roman Catholic church in Broward County, and was later sold to Fort Lauderdale's first Lutheran congregation for one dollar and moved brick by brick to Flagler Village. The city designated it a historic site in 2017.

The result is a dining room built to feel like a backstage pass rather than a traditional steakhouse.

In Miami Beach, Naked Taco has been a South Beach institution since 2014, now celebrating 12 years as a go-to destination steps from the Versace Mansion. The restaurant recently marked the milestone with a Hard Rock-inspired redesign, featuring neon lights and a redesigned interior that honors its rock-and-roll DNA. HIGHBAR, the rooftop lounge atop Dream South Beach by Hyatt, sits above Naked Taco and draws a nightly crowd with sweeping views of South Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

On Fort Lauderdale Beach, Riviera at Hotel Maren brings coastal Italian cuisine to a fifth-floor oceanfront setting, offering ocean views, handcrafted cocktails, and a menu inspired by the flavors of the sea.

"Every concept we build has to earn its place in the neighborhood. That's the standard, whether it's a steakhouse inside a hundred-year-old church or a rooftop lounge with a view of the whole city. We're not chasing trends. We're building things that last," said Jay Shirodkar, Founder of Shirodkar Industries and Room 7.

Shirodkar studied at the University of Virginia and holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has built Shirodkar Industries around concepts designed to last, choosing locations for their character rather than convenience and building teams meant to grow with the company. That long-term outlook extends beyond the dining room: Shirodkar Industries also supports U.S. veterans and animal welfare initiatives across South Florida, including rescue partnerships and its Rescue, Heal, Rehome efforts.

More information about Jay Shirodkar, Shirodkar Industries, and his South Florida hospitality portfolio is available at jayshirodkar.com.

About Jay Shirodkar / Shirodkar Industries

Jay Shirodkar is the founder of Shirodkar Industries and Room 7, a South Florida-based hospitality company. His portfolio includes Jay's (Fort Lauderdale), Naked Taco and HIGHBAR (Miami Beach), and Riviera (Fort Lauderdale Beach). Shirodkar Industries also engages in private equity, real estate, and hospitality investment.

Media Contact

Tal Tal El
Marketing Director, Room 7
marketing@yesfbm.com

SOURCE: Shirodkar Industries