Common Room To Debut In Downtown Hollywood - The Neighborhood American Restaurant Will Feature Familiar Fare, Craft Cocktails And An Invitation-Only Speakeasy South Florida Sun Times May 28, 2026 BOL Hospitality Group (BHG) Is Proud To Announce The Debut Of Common Room, A Neighborhood American Restaurant Near Young Circle In Downtown Hollywood. Opening Summer 2026, Common Room Is Located At 2032 Harrison Street, Hollywood, Florida 33020. BHG was founded in 2013 by Eric Douglas and Hai Nguyen, two South Florida hospitality operators who have built a reputation for their portfolio of high-energy, experience-driven concepts across South Florida. The group's portfolio includes Bae Korean Grill, The BOL Asian Cuisine and Davidoff of Geneva Cigar Lounge at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, and Social Room in Hollywood. Zho, a new pan-Asian restaurant, is slated to open at Dania Pointe in Q4 2026. Douglas leads brand development and long-term growth initiatives, while Nguyen oversees operational strategy and concept execution. Common Room marks the group's next chapter in South Florida. At the heart of Downtown Hollywood, Common Room was designed to serve as a neighborhood anchor. Common Room’s philosophy centers on reliably delicious food and expertly crafted cocktails in a warm and energetic atmosphere. The Common Room team prides itself on hospitality, where guests become regulars. Discreetly tucked within the restaurant is The Brooklyn Room, a curated speakeasy accessible by invitation only. Its approachable dining experience, layered with a post-dinner experiential cocktail component, offers guests two distinct experiences under one roof. Douglas coordinated a team of South Florida based companies to assist him in this project. Jewel Toned Interiors designed the interiors, and the architecture and construction were led by Kaller Architects and Lombardi Development. Distinct floral coverings and brass-framed mirrors give the space a sense of nostalgia that anchors the guest experience before a single dish arrives. The intimate 2000 square-foot restaurant offers seating for approximately 65 guests in the dining room, with future outdoor seating planned. The Brooklyn Room operates as a discreetly positioned speakeasy, accessed through the alley in the back of the restaurant. Entry is granted by invitation only, though regulars who make Common Room or any of BOL Hospitality Group’s concepts a habit tend to find their way inside. As a nod to the New York City Borough, guests will enjoy cocktails named after more well-known Brooklyn neighborhoods. Each night will bring a unique mix of beats, including old school hip hop and jazz. Executive Chef Tanya Evans brings a culinary vision built on simplicity: delicious and familiar, executed with fresh ingredients. Evans comes to Common Room with experience at Barton G, Major Food Group and Cafe Minstral, a background that spans high-volume hospitality and detail-driven kitchens. The menu draws on the comfort of American classics, with signature dishes including Lobster Rolls, Yum Yum Fried Chicken, Slow-Braised Short Rib and French Dip. Ingredients are sourced fresh from premium suppliers, with quality as the consistent standard across every dish. The Supper Club-inspired cocktail program, designed by Miami’s Unfiltered Hospitality, pairs classic builds with original signatures, each grounded in fresh, quality ingredients and finished with the kind of Miami-influenced flair. The menu is thoughtfully designed to carry guests from happy hour through last call without missing a beat. “We are proud to welcome Common Room to the Hollywood community, an intimate neighborhood modern American restaurant with a vibe,” said Douglas. “Common Room will be known for great food, an amazing vibe and excellent service. It’s where happy hour effortlessly rolls into great evenings, and great dinners turn into memorable nights.” “While access to The Brooklyn Room speakeasy is by invitation only, becoming a familiar face at any BOL Hospitality Group’s establishments doesn’t hurt your possibilities of getting an invite,” he continued. Hours of operation are Wednesday and Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Common Room will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. For more information, visit: www.bolhospitality.com . About BOL Hospitality Group (BHG): Founded in 2013, BOL Hospitality Group is a South Florida-based hospitality company specializing in distinctive dining and nightlife concepts. Its portfolio includes Bae Korean Grill, The BOL Asian Cuisine, and Davidoff of Geneva Cigar Lounge at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and Social Room in Hollywood. With Zho set to open at Dania Pointe in Q4 2026, the group continues to expand its presence through carefully curated, experience-driven venues that prioritize design, culinary integrity and guest engagement. “Common Room will be known for great food, an amazing vibe and excellent service.” "Happy hour effortlessly rolls into great evenings, and great dinners turn into memorable nights.” Previous Next

A Full Menu Of Festive Holiday Flavor Fri Nov 17 2023 17:08:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Elections Are 47 Days Away: Hallandale Beach Will Have Elections For Commission Seats 1 And 2 And Charter Amendments Thu Sep 22 2022 16:01:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The Wave Lounge Thu Oct 14 2021 13:39:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A Passport To Fun-Filled Adventures Wed Nov 29 2023 17:03:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Introducing Maison La Fleur: An Emblem of Love, Beauty, and the Spirit of Valentine’s Day in Aventura Mon Feb 07 2022 05:03:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Black Friday Deals Continue All Month at Brand International December 18, 2024 Share Great Deals For The Holidays On New Designer Eyewear & Trendy Fragrances When people hear about Black Friday deals they think of the day after Thanksgiving, but at Brand International Perfume they are having a Black Friday Sale all month long, until the New Year. So if you are you looking for a new signature scent or a gift for the special people in your life, this sale will have you smelling even better than the Holiday dinner! The fragrance experts at Brand International can help you find that scent that defines you, all at huge discounts. Plus while you are at Brand International selecting your perfect scent check out the fabulous designer eyewear and sunglasses, you’ll be ready for the season and looking and smelling great. With the holidays almost here, now is the time to start thinking about fall fashion for yourself and the special people in your life, and that prefect fragrance is where it all starts. This Month Long Black Friday sales provides an opportunity for you to save on any perfume you need. You may also be interested in out-of-stock, or hard to find fragrances from your favorite designers. At Brand International Perfume this month they will be hard at work to bring you big savings, owner Jaqueline Kels and her knowledgeable staff are making it easier than ever to shop for your special scent. With the malls and shopping centers busy with those looking to take advantage of bargains, you won't find a better place to shop for designer perfumes and frames, Brand International Perfume has certainly earned the reputation for being the place to go for fragrance gifts for every member of the family. And, you can guarantee that there will be plenty of convenient parking. Upon entering the store, you’ll be greeted by a friendly and knowledgeable team, handpicked by the owner, Jacqueline Kels. Over the years, Brand International Perfume has earned a stellar reputation as the go-to place for thoughtful gifts for all occasions, and the Holidays are no exception. Ample parking ensures your shopping experience is both convenient and enjoyable. Jacqueline and her team at Brand International Perfumes have the latest scents in stock and are offering savings right through the end of the year on fragrances and eyewear! The friendly staff will help you find the perfect fragrance or gift set for your loved one and while you’re shopping they will assist you with finding a fragrance for yourself as well. It’s not often that you can purchase quality fragrances at such discounted prices. At Brand International Perfume, high-end items that go from $150, $200, $300 retail - such as Creed, FlowerBomb by Victor & Rolf - are not found in most discount perfume shops, but Jacqueline carries them at significant discounts, along with the other big names - such as Mancera, Tom Ford, Carolina Herrera Good Girl, Bad Boy, Maison Francis, Kurkdjian Paris, Amouage, Montale and Juliette Has A Gun to name a few. Brand International Perfume also has the hottest selection of Dubai Perfumes available. If you want to find a gift that your special someone has never received, Brand International Perfume has the newest, most popular fragrances from the UAE at the best prices, look no further than Brand International Perfume. All of this is possible thanks to Jacqueline’s team of experts who have a genuine passion for fragrances from around the world. In addition to popular designer fragrances, you can find some new designer eyewear for that special someone. That’s right, Brand International Perfumes is also the one stop shop for designer eyewear. We already know when it comes to trendy fragrances Brand International Perfume has the largest selection in the area and now they have fashionable eyewear. They can even gift wrap your purchase! Win Win! From designer brand name sunglasses to those frames that everyone is talking about, Brand International has it all - and there is really no reason to waste your gas and drive all over south Florida. Among the trendy frames that everyone is wearing these days - include: Vera Wang, Prada, Chanel, Burberry, Oakley, Ray-Ban, Dior, Tiffany, Versace and many more. So with the vast selection of trendy eyewear, and thousands of brand name perfumes, the Staff will be able to help you find exactly what you are looking for. When it comes to having the best deals, with savings on perfume sets to designer brand name sunglasses, there is really no reason to drive all over. With the guidance from her late husband, Elliot, Jacqueline has put her own signature into this very popular business, creating a vision that both had some years ago. Brand International Perfume prides itself on getting anything the customer wants. If it is still out there, if it is still being made, Jacqueline will get it. Even if it’s not being made and very hard to find, she probably has it. Living by Elliot’s motto: “If you can’t find it, we may have it.” This is certainly a destination that shoppers head to. Brand International Perfume’s customer service is second to none. They are open 7 days, with almost three decades of experience Jacqueline and her talented Staff can fit your style, your budget and save you time as well. Brand International Perfume is located at 121 Northeast 3rd Street, Hallandale Beach Florida 33009. If you don’t have time to stop by the store, give Jacqueline a call at: (954) 457-1969. OUT OF STATE: 1 (800) 689-1969. Chances are, you will find your favorite fragrance at a tremendous savings. THEY SHIP UPS ALL OVER THE USA! < Previous News Next News >

Small Business, Big Dreams: Women Entrepreneurs & Business Leaders Can Enter To Win $15,000 September 14, 2023 Share One woman-owned small business will walk away from BankUnited’s Small Business, Big Dreams: Women in Business Summit with a $15,000 Grand Prize to help grow their business as part of BankUnited’s Annual Celebration Of National Women’s Small Business Month in October. The annual gathering, attended by leaders of business and industry, women business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs and featuring inspirational talks, tips and networking opportunities, will take place on Tuesday, October 17th, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale, 1 North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304. “Our Annual Summit in honor of businesswomen is one of the most inspiring and uplifting aspects of the work we do at BankUnited,” said Lisa Shim, BankUnited Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Consumer and Small Business Banking. “BankUnited is in the business of building relationships and helping business owners thrive as they strive for and reach new goals. The fact that we can gather together with some of the most inspiring women in the country is both personally and professionally meaningful to me. I always come away feeling empowered and energized listening to the journeys of boss ladies overcoming very unique challenges to creatively benefit their businesses and communities.” The Summit will feature a keynote address by Rachel Sapoznik, Founder, President, and CEO of World Insurance Associates, and a panel discussion moderated by Shim and featuring last year’s Grand Prize Winner, Ivelices Linares Thomas, Founder & CEO, HR & Beyond; Ramola Motwani, Chairwoman, Merrimac Ventures; Marie Gill, Founder and CEO, M. Gill & Associates; and Durée Ross, President/Founder, Durée & Company, Inc. Enter To Win In addition to inspiring talks and networking opportunities, the Summit is a culmination of the Small Business, Big Dreams Challenge, which is now open and encourages Small Business owner women to upload a video-recorded three-minute pitch that addresses how their business would benefit from the $15,000 Grand Prize that is awarded to one of three finalists during the live-pitch portion of the October Summit. Ten semi-finalists will be notified in September and will receive a free ticket to the event. Following one-on-one presentations to BankUnited Executives, three finalists will move on to the live-pitch round before a panel of judges and Summit attendees. Cash prizes will be awarded to the Grand Prize Winner: $15,000, First Runner-Up: $5,000 and Second Runner-Up: $2,500. The contest closes September 15. To enter, eligible business owners must complete an application and submit an original “elevator pitch” video of up to three minutes. Businesses must be based in Florida or New York, and must be at least 51 percent women-owned. For official contest rules and entry forms, please visit: https://www.bankunited.com/small-business/small-business-big-dreams-challenge Tickets to attend the Summit are $25 per person and include continental breakfast and a grab & go lunch. Advance Registration is Required. For more information and to Register, please visit: https://bankunited.eventbrite.com < Previous News Next News >

Changes Are Coming: The Supreme Court, Foster Park & Golden Isles In Hallandale Beach By Hallandale Beach Mayor, Joy Cooper March 24, 2022 Share This week marks a historic time for both women and women of color in all of Florida. I have been so excited watching the confirmation hearings of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Her credentials and background are simply the best of any other Judge that has been nominated and confirmed. I am simply impressed that she has served in all capacities as a prosecutor, a public defender and a judge. She is not only brilliant but has been confirmed three times by the Senate. Her background as an attorney, the daughter of an attorney and public-school teacher here in Miami is inspirational. I am pleased that she has a family in law enforcement which is a major plus. She understands all sides of the human impacts of our judicial system and how important the rule of law is. As with any nomination the political circus has sadly begun to try and overshadow the facts. On Tuesday, there was a presentation made by Senator Whitehouse about how “Dark Money” has continued to focus on stocking the Supreme Court by (or, should I say “buying”) funding campaigns and elections to make the courts conservative? The amount alone is over $200 Million and much of the property is coming from the same organization. I was intrigued by the point many of us think of the Supreme Court as a judge of social constitution issues. While social issues, religion, control over our bodies and who we can and cannot love are of major importance, the court also decides on many other issues. One such issue is the current challenge to EPA Regulations. Basically, this is an attack on Clean Air and Water. It seems to me that the super majority of the American Public want and deserve clean air and water. Corporations under the guise of free enterprise are stacking the court for their benefit and control. I hope this dialogue does not get lost and congress can reach an agreement to rid the process of “dark money” or at least make it more transparent and easier to pierce the veil over them. In City Business, we have many issues finally coming forward. Over the past months, our City Staff under the direction of the Commission have released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the best use of Foster Park. For our readers, Foster Park was redeveloped in 2016 in partnership with our Community Re-development Agency. The park formerly had a dilapidated building and basketball court. It became our first LEED Certified building complete with a multipurpose room, three smaller meeting rooms, a micro–African American Library, Historic Hall and Displays, large play area and walking track with equipment. For years, we have been trying to truly activate the park. To do so under a staffing budget restraint, it has been decided to issue the RFP to find a group or entity that can provide the programming. The RFP was sent out and on Tuesday, the respondents made a presentation to the Selection Committee. Due to state laws impacting RFP’s, our City Commission is not on the Selection Committee. We do sit as the final vote of approval to award contracts. As a Mayor, the Commissioners and I can attend this presentation, but the law requires us not to speak or interfere with the process. I chose not to attend, as I would not want my presence to create any conflict. The meeting on Tuesday was recorded, so I am looking forward to seeing the presentations. Residents interested should visit our website at: http://www.cohb.org/ for information and to view the recording of the public hearing. Another long-awaited project has been the Master Plan for the Golden Isles Safe Neighborhood District. GISND is a separate taxing district. The residents within the district pay an added ad valorem tax to provide additional safety improvements and security services. This neighborhood has very limited lighting and the sidewalks have received very little improvement over the years. The GISND approved a contract for Stannic Engineering to develop plans to redevelop the area. There will be a Public Meeting to review the three proposed designs for Layne Boulevard south of the Guard House. The meeting is scheduled for Monday April 4th, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. at the Golden Isles Tennis Center. While this is part of the GISND, it is still a public street and what is placed on the south side may mirror what is placed on the north side of Layne Boulevard. The City will be starting to dig and replace underground pipes starting in the fall, Please be prepared. As always, feel free to contact me anytime with your questions, concerns and ideas on how to make our City a great place to live, work and play! I am available by phone or text at: (954) 632-5700. E-mail me at: jcooper@cohb.org . Or visit my Facebook & Web-site at: http://www.mayorjoycooper.com/ < Previous News Next News >

Who’s Shaking The Jar...and Why? Whether You Live in a Small Town or a Big City, the Government Is Still Out to Get You By John & Nisha Whitehead August 10, 2023 Share There’s a meme that circulated on social media a while back that perfectly sums up the polarized, manipulated mayhem, madness and tyranny that is life in the American police state today: “If you catch 100 red fire ants as well as 100 large black ants, and put them in a jar, at first, nothing will happen. However, if you violently shake the jar and dump them back on the ground the ants will fight until they eventually kill each other. The thing is, the red ants think the black ants are the enemy and vice versa, when in reality, the real enemy is the person who shook the jar. This is exactly what’s happening in society today. Liberal vs. Conservative. Black vs. White. Pro Mask vs. Anti Mask. The real question we need to be asking ourselves is who’s shaking the jar ... and why?” Whether red ants will really fight black ants to the death is a question for the biologists, but it’s an apt analogy of what’s playing out before us on the political scene and a chilling lesson in social engineering that keeps us fixated on circus politics and conveniently timed spectacles, distracted from focusing too closely on the government’s power grabs, and incapable of focusing on who’s really shaking the jar. This controversy over Jason Aldean’s country music video, “Try That In a Small Town,” which is little more than authoritarian propaganda pretending to be respect for law and order, is just more of the same. The music video, riddled with images of militarized police facing off against rioters, implies that there are only two types of people in this country: those who stand with the government and those who oppose it. Yet the song gets it wrong. You see, it makes no difference whether you live in a small town or a big city, or whether you stand with the government or mobilize against it: either way, the government is still out to get you. Indeed, the government’s prosecution of the Jan. 6 protesters (part of a demographic that might relate to the frontier justice sentiments in Aldean’s song) is a powerful reminder that the police state doesn’t discriminate when it comes to hammering away at those who challenge its authority. It also serves to underscore the government’s tone-deaf hypocrisy in the face of its own double-crossing, double-dealing, double standards. Imagine: the very same government that violates the rights of its citizenry at almost every turn is considering charging President Trump with conspiring against the rights of the American people. It’s so ludicrous as to be Kafkaesque. If President Trump is indicted over the events that culminated in the Capitol riots of Jan. 6, 2021, the government could hinge part of their case on Section 241 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, which makes it a crime for two or more people to “conspire to injure, oppress, threaten or intimidate” anyone “with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege” the person enjoys under the U.S. Constitution. That the government, which now constitutes the greatest threat to our freedoms, would appoint itself the so-called defender of our freedoms shows exactly how farcical, topsy-turvy, and downright perverse life in the American police state has become. Unfortunately, “we the people” are partially to blame for allowing this double standard to persist. While we may claim to value freedom, privacy, individuality, equality, diversity, accountability, and government transparency, our actions and those of our government rulers contradict these much-vaunted principles at every turn. Even though the government continues to betray our trust, invade our privacy, and abuse our rights, we just keep going back for more. For instance, we claim to disdain the jaded mindset of the Washington elite, and yet we continue to re-elect politicians who lie, cheat and steal. We claim to disapprove of the endless wars that drain our resources and spread thin our military, and yet we repeatedly buy into the idea that patriotism equals supporting the military. We claim to chafe at taxpayer-funded pork barrel legislation for roads to nowhere, documentaries on food fights, and studies of mountain lions running on treadmills, and yet we pay our taxes meekly and without raising a fuss of any kind. We claim to object to the militarization of our local police forces and their increasingly battlefield mindset, and yet we do little more than shrug our shoulders over SWAT team raids and police shootings of unarmed citizens. And then there’s our supposed love-hate affair with technology, which sees us bristling at the government’s efforts to monitor our internet activities, listen in on our phone calls, read our emails, track our every movement, and punish us for what we say on social media, and yet we keep using these very same technologies all the while doing nothing about the government’s encroachments on our rights. By tacitly allowing these violations to continue and legitimizing a government that has long since ceased to operate within the framework of the Constitution, we not only empower the tyrant but we feed the monster. This is exactly how incremental encroachments on our rights, justified in the name of greater safety, become routine, wide-ranging abuses so entrenched as to make reform all but impossible. The tactics follow the same script: first, the government lures us in with a scheme to make our lives better, our families safer, and our communities more secure, and then once we take the bait, they slam the trap closed and turn “we the people” into Enemy Number One. Despite how evident it is that we are mere tools to be used and abused and manipulated for the power elite’s own diabolical purposes, we somehow fail to see their machinations for what they truly are: thinly veiled attempts to expand their power and wealth at our expense. So here we are, caught in a vicious cycle of in-fighting and partisan politics, all the while the government—which never stops shaking the jar—is advancing its agenda to lockdown the nation. As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, until we can face up to that truth and forge our own path back to a world in which freedom means something again, we’re going to be stuck in this wormhole of populist anger, petty politics and destruction that is pitting us one against the other. In that scenario, no one wins, whether you live in a small town or big city. Editor’s Note: John Whitehead is an Attorney and Author who has written, debated and practiced widely in the area of Constitutional Law, Human Rights and Popular Culture. John Whitehead's Commentary are his views and he is open for discussion, he can be contacted at: johnw@rutherford.org . Information about The Rutherford Institute is available at: www.rutherford.org < Previous News Next News >

Medicare Open Enrollment Period Is Here! Get In Touch With The Team At Hallandale Medical Center To Prepare Thu Jan 05 2023 17:07:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Ahoy, Mateys: It’s Time For The City Of Hollywood Cardboard Boat Race September 14, 2023 Share Sailors, start your paddles, gather your mates and grab your duct tape to construct a sloop made entirely of cardboard! The City Of Hollywood’s Annual Cardboard Boat Race sets sail on Hollywood’s North Lake on Saturday, October 14th, 2023 at the Hollywood Marina at 700 Polk Street, Hollywood, Florida 33019. Landlubbers will gather to cheer as the cardboard boat crews paddle in head-to-head competition for the coveted trophies in categories such as: “People’s Choice,” “Fastest Vessel,” “Most Creative Design” and “Most Spectacular Sinking.” All boats must be built off-site and in advance. Check in begins at 8:00 a.m. and the races begin at 10:00 a.m. and continues until the last boat docks. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. See the innovative designs and witness the sheer will to win all the racers share. Be amazed and amused as they speed across the water in their quest for the ultimate prize -- the coveted trophy. For event registration and additional information, please call the City of Hollywood Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts at: (954) 921-3404. Or visit: www.hollywoodfl.org/specialevents Operation Paintbrush The City of Hollywood Department of Public Works is holding Operation Paintbrush this Saturday, September 16th, 2023 from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Noon. Operation Paintbrush provides up to 20 gallons of High-Quality Exterior Latex Paint for FREE to Single-Family Homeowners and Non-Profit Organizations in Hollywood. 100% of the Latex Paint collected through the Broward County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program is Recycled into New, High-Quality Exterior Latex Paint which is then provided to participating cities at no cost. Paint can be picked up at the Department of Public Works, 1600 South Park Road, Hollywood, Florida 33021 beginning at 8:00 a.m. Distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis while the City's supply lasts. To participate, you MUST provide your Current Driver’s License with Hollywood address and a Current Utility Bill as Proof of Hollywood Residency. The paint colors offered are: Off-White, Beige, Terracotta, Gray and Turquoise. Downtown Hollywood ArtWalk Come to the ArtWalk this weekend, Saturday, September 16th, 2023. Visit restaurants, galleries, and shops, while enjoying Art, Music, Murals, Outdoor Markets, and more! The Artisan Market will be open from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and there will be Live Music at 6:00 p.m. at 8:00 p.m. The Mural Tour will be from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., as well as a Gallery Tour from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and from 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. and a Magic Show from 10:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. < Previous News Next News >