Naia Opens on Las Olas October 22 From The Restaurant People

At a Glance

• Naia opens Thursday, October 22, 2026, at the corner of Las Olas Boulevard and Southeast Ninth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.
• It is the newest restaurant from The Restaurant People, the group behind YOLO, Boatyard, S3, Nubé and Rosa Sky Rooftop.
• Executive Chef Miguel Casanova cooks coastal Mediterranean food with Asian technique over a live robata fire.
• Corporate Sushi Chef Ped Phommavong prepares sushi with fish from Tokyo's Toyosu Fish Market.

Naia opens Thursday, October 22, on the corner of Las Olas Boulevard and Southeast Ninth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. It is the newest restaurant from The Restaurant People. Executive Chef Miguel Casanova leads the kitchen, cooking coastal Mediterranean food over a live robata fire, with a sushi program under Corporate Sushi Chef Ped Phommavong.

The name means "flow of water." The group shaped the restaurant around that idea and its counterpart, fire, and both are visible from the sidewalk before a guest reaches the door.

The building was rebuilt and set back 25 feet from the sidewalk, which the group says gives the corner a rare sense of space and openness on Las Olas. Naia's name glows in firelight against a cascading waterfall wall at the entrance.

Casanova draws from the coastal Mediterranean and folds in Asian technique. The dishes are meant to be passed across the table. Skewers come straight off the live robata fire. House-baked sourdough pita arrives with whipped dips.

Sushi is a separate program under Corporate Sushi Chef Ped Phommavong, who works with fish from Tokyo's Toyosu Fish Market. The group describes the menu as wellness-minded, with an emphasis on nourishment and intention.

The Restaurant People also operate YOLO, Boatyard, S3, Nubé and Rosa Sky Rooftop. For Naia the group points to the Mediterranean tradition of hospitality and to the way people want to dine now: fresh, social and connected to the coast.

Doors open October 22.