COCOTIER

Join actress, Gabrielle Anwar as she fulfills a lifetime dream of opening and curating a unique concept store in Bahamian Coconut Grove.Having fallen in love with a stunning space ten years ago, whilst on location in Miami, shooting the TV show, Burn Notice, her vision has been perfecting and pulsating as she has designed, hand crafted, and discovered an eclectic array of art and merchandise never before experienced, to be unveiled at Cocotier, (Coconut Grove, en Français).
Her husband, restauranteur and financier, Shareef Malnik, suggested she take a break from a 30-year acting career to pursue her dream, and he would do whatever he could to support her. Within reason.

Gabrielle, refused retail spaces offered by Design District brain child, Craig Robins, in a variety of hugely desirable retail locations to remain true to her Grove vision, with a desire to “cycle to work each morning” with a launching pad for young designers, mixed with crème de la crème accent pieces of established artists in fashion, design, household goods, first edition book store, cuisine, even a florist.

The diverse goods, have one thing in common – Beauty; the appeal to all senses, think ABC Home, NY. With a sagacious eye, and premeditation for trends to come, Gabrielle takes inspiration from Merci, Paris, in the historic district of the Haut-Marais, where founders of Bonpoint, Bernard and Marie-France Cohen established a department store to accommodate the way we want to shop.

The 10,000 square-foot building the heart of Coconut Grove, has been an unsuccessful endeavor as a dinning location for many years, perhaps because of the vastness and multilevel floor plan. It is now rented for private events seasonally. This is the perfect environment for a boutique department store, in the heart of the hustle & bustle of Coconut Grove, where eight private schools within a mile radius attract a high-end shopper with breakfast, lunch and dinner in mind, not obtainable on-line.

A 28’ atrium, complete with a sweeping staircase, luring clients inside and up to all merchandise floors and all day, roof top dining. Street level load-in and load-out vendors access, with elevator to all levels, as well as storage capacities for kitchen supplies and equipment.

Take the journey with husband and wife as they navigate what it takes to follow a dream, from the ground up.

With a Bahamian meets bohemian flair, each of the three floors will deliver a feast for the senses; pouring seamlessly out onto street dining and the balconies above. With a French Rustic top floor Restaurant, and room length bar, in Homewares and Men’s Fashion. A mezzanine Champagne & Kombucha Bar, to service Ladies Wear, Shoes and Jewels, with a Milk Bar to welcome children to their own retail corner, and a ground floor

Coffee shop nestled among the First Edition Book collection, the Apothecary, Gifts and Rare Bloom Florist. The attention to detail is imperative, each piece of silverware, each vase, each fixture is available to purchase throughout the entire store. Locating each of these pieces will be an infinite odyssey through flea markets, antique shops and estate sales. each a unique piece of art, no matter how large or small, or seemingly inconsequential.

“I do believe that the way we live is art, and art is the way we live. By exhibiting these sentiments to an audience, we inspire a greater appreciation for the nuance and nature of our surroundings, how our environment contributes or detracts from our wellbeing, and how one can create beauty with a limited budget, by trusting one’s own creative sensibilities.” Gabrielle Anwar