Tom Prakas

* RESTAURANT BROKER

Prakas had been to South Florida during spring breaks (some of his clubs in Ohio were college bars), and he liked what he saw. He promptly opened Nippers in Boca and eventually a string of clubs and bars. After a number of years, however, the club scene took its toll, and he decided to ponder a career change.

"I didn't want the late hours, the day-to­-day operations," he says. "I came across the brokerage idea. I thought, 'I've hired a lot of people, and I know all the bar and restau­rant people."' It was a natural extension of his former life. So Prakas sold his places and opened his own brokerage in 1999. Today, the Prakas Group employs 20 people and does about 300 restaurant deals a year. His clients read like a who's who of the hospitality busi­ness—names like Chops Lobster Bar, Vic & Angelo's, Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, Taverna Opa, Chipotle and more.

"Florida is becoming a dining destination from South Beach to West Palm Beach," he says. "We are getting a lot of chefs and chef-driven talent—everyone wants to start an outpost in South Florida."

Prakas knows who's coming in before anyone else does, who wants to sell and who's looking to add locations. He also knows what trends are hot—and what's not.

"Wine bars are very hot, small plates are hot, and I'm seeing niche fields—business going to specialization," he says.

Although it's difficult to predict the next big thing, Prakas suggests that some trends are definitely on their way out—like fussy dress-up-for-dinner dining. He expects that whatever is next will be "something in the 'eat-ertainment' area," places that offer entertainment and dancing in addition to great food.

"If you do something well and not too radical, and you have a good atmosphere, the good guys will always do well," he says. "People want to go out and treat them­selves—instead of taking a small trip, they want to go have a great dining experience— it's almost bragging rights. There is always going to be a market for great dining."

—MARIE SPEE