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Welcome to the Coconut Grove Chamber of Commerce


Promoting business and prosperity in an idyllic bayside village 
within the culturally diverse and international dynamic of Miami.

For over fifty years, the Coconut Grove Chamber of Commerce has represented a network of businesses, merchants, restaurants, financial institutions, hotels, and area attractions in the City of Miami's most internationally renowned village, Coconut Grove.

Coconut Grove has been the City of Miami's center of commerce and prosperity ever since it was first settled in the late 1800s. It is, for instance, the site of Miami's first hotel, the Bayview Inn, later known as the Peacock Inn, built in 1882 on the bay front site that is now Peacock Park. Today, the park is the site of the "Glass House," as headquarters of the Coconut Grove Chamber of Commerce is known. Isabella and Charles Peacock, Miami's first "hoteliers" certainly knew how to pick a good site, for Coconut Grove would prove to be the jewel of South Florida. So prosperous and coveted, that in 1925, it was annexed by the City of Miami, for which it has played and important role ever since. In fact, Miami's City Hall is located in Coconut Grove, in a historic landmark building that once served as the headquarters of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), not long after the renowned airline was founded in 1927.

 


Above, the Airport on Dinner Key, in what today is City Hall at Dinner Key Marina.
 
Below, Airport Lobby Globe, which is now housed at the Miami Science Museum.  
 

Today, Coconut Grove is the City of Miami's most affluent neighborhood, with a lush tropical canopy, winding streets with roaming peacocks (lately the subject of international coverage), and parrots often flying overhead.


Because of its ideal, bayside location, Coconut Grove is also a renowned sailing community with many world-class regattas taking place during the season, starting with the Columbus Day Regatta in October, the Orange Bowl Regatta in December, the Rolex Cup in January, and continuing with many more through May.


The Grove is home to the Coconut Grove Sailing Club, two yacht clubs (Coral Reef Yacht Club and Biscayne Yacht Club), the US Olympic Sailing Center, and Shake-a-Leg.




 
Above: Dinner Key, so named because it is where the Pan Am travelers enjoyed the picnic
before setting off for the Bahamas and Cuba, is now a thriving marina. 
Dinner Key Marina and City Hall today.

As a further testament to its distinction as the site of the first hotel on the mainland, "The Grove" is recognized as the second largest tourist destination in South Florida (South Beach being first).

The Grove's idyllic village location provides an excellent backdrop to some of South Florida's most recognized outdoor events.

January starts off with Great Taste of the Grove, our Chamber's signature, two-day outdoor food and music festival featuring the culinary diversity of the Grove's restaurants.

In February, Coconut Grove is home of the world-renowned Coconut Grove Arts Festival, the largest street art festival in the country, which traditionally takes place over Presidents' Day Weekend. Consistently voted among the country's best outdoor festivals, the event features over 300 artists from across the country, with close to 150,000 people in attendance each year.

The Goombay Festival & Junkanoo is a tribute to the Bahamian settlers that helped found Coconut Grove. It takes place in late spring, and features Bahamian dancing, food, Caribbean music and culture.

On July 4th, the Grove pulls out its red white and blue bunting and celebrates Independence Day with an all-village event that begins with an old-fashioned picnic at the historic Barnacle grounds and continues throughout the business district, and ends with a bang of dynamic fireworks at Peacock Park.

Each fall, the Grove also serves as backdrop to the Madhatter's Art Festival and the France Cinema Florida Film Festival/Coconut Grove.

The year would not be complete without the Grove's legendary King Mango Strut, an irreverent parade held on the last Sunday of the year. This is no ordinary parade. Before there was a John Stewart Show or a Steven Colbert Show, the Mangoheads, as parade organizers and participants are known, have been spoofing politicians and other current events at a local, national and international level. It began as a parody of the Orange Bowl Parade, which traditionally took place on New Year's Eve, to coincide with the Orange Bowl. Ironically, the Strut has outlasted the Orange Bowl Parade, proving indeed that it has "staying power."

The Grove is known for its many restaurants with a variety of cuisines, and particularly for its open air cafes. The Chamber of Commerce takes delight in our ability to showcase the diverse cuisine offered at our Chamber member restaurants and hotels each month at our lively After Hours Club Networking Cocktails, and our TGIF Luncheon Series, often presented in conjunction with other sister chambers of South Florida.

Coconut Grove is the place for thriving businesses, merchants, art galleries, financial institutions, international headquarters, world class hotels and dynamic people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

We are proud of the role the Coconut Grove Chamber of Commerce has in our fair village, our community, and our City of Miami, and the close relationships we have established with our community's Village Council, Miami's first Business Improvement District, The Coconut Grove BID, the City of Miami's Neighborhood Enhancement Team (NET), Mayor Thomas Regalado, Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, District 2, and County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez, District 7.

We continue to work closely with them and with you, our members, to maintain prosperity and opportunity as the key ingredients, along with quality of life, in Coconut Grove's recipe for success.