David Foulquier Bets Big on Fooq’s Return in Little River

Editor’s Note: This profile is part of New Times’ People to Watch issue, spotlighting figures we expect to make a big impact in Miami in 2026.

David Foulquier is not interested in playing it safe. Managing two Michelin-starred sushi spots in Manhattan — Sushi Noz and Noz 17 — along with a pizza empire growing across Miami (Eleventh Street Pizza), would be enough for most. Foulquier instead spent the past few years relaunching Fooq’s in a 14,000-square-foot restaurant and lounge complex in a Little River warehouse.

As a 2026 New Times People to Watch honoree, Foulquier acts as the engine behind the We All Gotta Eat hospitality group. His latest major venture at 150 NW 73rd St. serves as the permanent home for the revived Fooq’s, which now also features an upstairs vinyl lounge, Lion’s Den. Moving into this industrial space fulfills a long-term goal for Foulquier. He believes the local scene is finally finding its footing.

“I feel a lot of pride about Miami’s restaurant scene,” Foulquier says. “I feel like I’ve really done my part to help put it on the map and to do things the right way.”

From left: owner David Foulquier and Executive Chef Andrew Bazzini at Fooq’s in Little River

Fooq’s photo

The Road From Manhattan

Foulquier’s obsession with the dining room is ingrained in him from childhood. Born and raised in Manhattan to a Persian-French family, he learned the nuances of hosting and service. He eventually moved to South Florida to attend the University of Miami before transferring to the Chaplin School of Hospitality at FIU, a move he credits as the foundation for his career.

By 24, he opened the original Fooq’s (which won New Times‘ Best Restaurant in Downtown Miami 2016) on NE 11th Street, introducing Persian-Mediterranean comfort food and a sophisticated wine list to a then-underdeveloped corner of downtown Miami. Even as he expanded back to New York with Sushi Noz – which earned its first Michelin star in 2018 – Foulquier remained a constant fixture in Miami’s food scene. When the pandemic disrupted the industry, he transformed the original Fooq’s space in 2021 into Eleventh Street Pizza, which has since grown to a second location in Kendall.

The transition from Persian cuisine to omakase to pizzas was driven by the standards he upholds for himself and his team, rather than by a culinary style. “It doesn’t discriminate from pizza to sushi; it’s the quality that matters,” he adds.

The space blends Middle Eastern influences, 1970s textures, and mid-century design to create distinct zones.

Fooq’s photo

Managing the Pre-Opening Jitters

Despite his outward confidence, Foulquier admits the weeks leading up to the January 2026 opening of Fooqs were restless. The stakes are way higher when the dining room seats 200.

“As much as I exude confidence, I’m just like everyone else,” Foulquier says. “I have a hard time sleeping. I have a lot of anxiety based on my business being successful.”

That pressure is tied to a sense of responsibility toward the people who keep the businesses moving forward. Foulquier is committed to building a sustainable environment for his staff, aiming to provide enough upward mobility to keep them within the company for years. “I want to make all my people like lifers, as many as possible,” Foulquier says. “People who want to stick with me and I want to be able to give them an upward trajectory, and I want all of them to want to grow with me.”

For those looking to break into the industry and be a restaurateur themselves, he’s as direct as can be: “You better love what you do, and you better never get down on yourself, and you better be ready to go to war,” he notes.

The Lion’s Den, located above Fooq’s, is a music venue that Foulquier promises is not just another Miami club selling tables.

Fooq’s photo

Betting on Quality

Foulquier isn’t here to chase the latest Miami dining trend. His goal for 2026 is simple: show that Miami can support a concept that prioritizes quality over flash, even when it isn’t in a trendy neighborhood. While he acknowledges the city is famously fickle with its dining, he bets the city’s culinary scene is finally growing up.

“In New York City, you get rewarded for being great and for being the best,” Foulquier says. “That hasn’t always been the case for Miami. You get rewarded for weird things and punished for weird things, historically.”

As Foulquier navigates the rest of the year, he is sticking to his guns: “Happy music only” in the upstairs lounge and wood-fired plates in the dining room. In a city obsessed with the next big opening, he is building something with no expiration date.