Ball & Chain
Ball & Chain is a historic Cuban live music venue and restaurant in Little Havana, Miami, serving local nightlife seekers, tourists, and private event clients with nightly themed events, Cuban dining, and cocktails at a single 1513 SW 8th Street location.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1935
- HeadquartersMiami, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ball & Chain does
Ball & Chain is a historic live music venue and Cuban restaurant operating a single physical location at 1513 SW 8th Street in the heart of Little Havana, Miami. Originally opened in 1935 and reopened in its current form by the Barlington Group in the 2000s, the venue operates under The Mad Room LLC and offers nightly live music programming (jazz, salsa, Latin jazz, DJ sets), authentic Cuban cuisine and hand-crafted cocktails, private event hosting, and table reservations for bottle service. Its recurring themed nights — including Mambo Mondays, BachaTuesdays, Sabor Wednesday, La Pachanga, and Salsero Sundays — plus free salsa lessons, drive consistent foot traffic across all seven nights, with operating hours extending to 3 a.m. on weekends.
The business operates on a traditional hospitality technology stack with no proprietary technology disclosed: the website runs on WordPress with WooCommerce for nationwide merchandise sales, SevenRooms powers event and table reservations, Tripleseat manages private event bookings, and standard marketing tools (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, Klaviyo) support customer engagement. Customer segments span local nightlife seekers, tourists visiting Little Havana, and a secondary B2B layer of corporate events, weddings, and milestone celebrations. Revenue derives from four streams: food and beverage sales (primary), live entertainment admissions and cover charges, private events and bottle service, and ancillary merchandise sales through the online shop.
Ball & Chain has received repeated regional and national recognition, including Esquire's Best Bars in America 2026, Miami New Times' Best Live Music Venue (2022), and Best Mojito (2019), plus features in Forbes, Billboard, and the New York Times. The venue employs 51-100 staff and is privately held with no institutional investors or PE backing disclosed.
Ball & Chain firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ball & Chain
- Legal name
- The Mad Room LLC
- Website
- https://ballandchainmiami.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1935
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Ball & Chain is a historic Cuban live music venue and restaurant in Little Havana, Miami, serving local nightlife seekers, tourists, and private event clients with nightly themed events, Cuban dining, and cocktails at a single 1513 SW 8th Street location.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ball & Chain industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Music Venue and Cuban Restaurant
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cocktail Lounges & Speakeasies (MPAGAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Nightclubs & Dance Clubs (THAFAEAC), Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD)
Keywords
Where Ball & Chain is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Miami
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ball & Chain business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Food and Beverage Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from selling Cuban cuisine (tapas, Cuban classics, sandwiches, seafood, desserts) and hand-crafted cocktails (mojitos, daiquiris, margaritas, and signature drinks) to dine-in guests.
- Live Entertainment Admissions and Cover Charges: Revenue generated from live music performances, DJ nights, salsa dancing events, and themed programming including nightly events like Mambo Mondays, BachaTuesdays, Sabor Wednesday, La Pachanga, and Salsero Sundays.
- Private Events and Bottle Service: Revenue from hosting private events including corporate parties, weddings, birthday celebrations, bachelorette parties, and holiday events. Bottle service table reservations are offered for groups.
- Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including t-shirts ($20-$33), hoodies ($49-$50), trucker caps, bucket hats, tank tops, youth apparel, baby onesies, gift cards ($25-$250), towels, and water bottles through WooCommerce.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise - Apparel and accessories |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Food and Cocktail Menu |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ball & Chain product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ball & Chain operates a single physical live music venue, Cuban restaurant, and cocktail bar in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. The venue sells Cuban dining experiences, hand-crafted cocktails, nightly live music and themed entertainment programming, private event hosting, and branded merchandise through an online shop. The offering centers on a destination hospitality experience anchored by a 90+ year cultural heritage and a recurring calendar of themed nights and live performances.
Product overview
Ball & Chain is a historic live music venue and Cuban restaurant in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, established in 1935. The business operates as a single unified hospitality brand offering three core services: live music and nightly entertainment events (featuring Latin jazz, salsa, and DJ performances), Cuban dining with hand-crafted cocktails, and private event hosting. An e-commerce merchandise shop selling branded apparel and accessories operates alongside the venue experience. The venue is known for its iconic Pineapple Stage and hosts recurring weekly events including Mambo Mondays, La Pachanga on Saturdays, and Salsero Sundays.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PINEAPPLE STAGE: The signature outdoor stage at Ball & Chain featuring live music performances.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nationally recognized as one of the best bars in America (Esquire 2026)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Ball & Chain
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ball & Chain technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ball & Chain partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Ball & Chain competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Broken Shaker: Award-winning cocktail bar at Miami's Freehand Hotel. Comparable as a craft cocktail destination in Miami's nightlife scene with outdoor patio programming and national press recognition.
- Havana 1957: Multi-location Cuban restaurant chain in Miami (Brickell, Coral Gables, Hollywood Beach). Comparable as a Cuban cuisine operator serving tourists and locals, though Ball & Chain has stronger nightlife and music programming.
Emerging players
- Bodega Taqueria y Tequila: Mexican-themed nightlife concept with multiple Miami locations featuring late-night programming. Comparable as a themed bar/restaurant in Miami's nightlife scene targeting a similar young, social demographic.
- La Tropical Brewery & Beer Garden: Cuban brewery in the Little Havana/Schenley Park area with taproom and entertainment. Comparable as a heritage Cuban-themed Miami venue combining beverage sales with cultural programming and live events.
Direct peers
- Hoy Como Ayer: Iconic Little Havana Latin music venue featuring salsa, trova, and Latin jazz performances. Closest direct comparable as a Little Havana live music venue with similar cultural positioning and target demographic.
- Versailles Restaurant: The flagship Cuban restaurant on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, a cultural landmark in its own right. Comparable as an iconic Cuban dining institution serving overlapping tourist and local Cuban-American clientele in the same neighborhood.
- Café La Trova: Cuban cocktail bar and restaurant in Little Havana/Miami Beach by award-winning bartender Julio Cabrera. Directly comparable as an authentic Cuban-themed bar with craft cocktails, live music, and dining in Miami's hospitality scene.
- Sweet Liberty Drinks & Co. Award-winning Miami Beach cocktail bar consistently ranked among America's best. Comparable as a craft cocktail-led nightlife destination with live entertainment programming and national press recognition.
- Churchill's Pub: Long-established Miami live music venue known for indie, punk, and alternative programming. Comparable as a single-location Miami live music venue competing for the same nightlife audience with bar and entertainment offerings.
Broad incumbents
- The Fillmore Miami Beach: Major Miami Beach concert venue operated by Live Nation hosting national touring acts. Comparable as a Miami live entertainment venue competing for music-going audiences, though at significantly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ball & Chain social profiles
Digital presenceBall & Chain financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ball & Chain leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Ball & Chain funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ball & Chain M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ball & Chain
What does Ball & Chain do?
Ball & Chain operates a single physical live music venue, Cuban restaurant, and cocktail bar in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. The venue sells Cuban dining experiences, hand-crafted cocktails, nightly live music and themed entertainment programming, private event hosting, and branded merchandise through an online shop. The offering centers on a destination hospitality experience anchored by a 90+ year cultural heritage and a recurring calendar of themed nights and live performances.
Is Ball & Chain a public or private company?
Ball & Chain is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ball & Chain founded?
Ball & Chain was founded in 1935. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Ball & Chain based?
Ball & Chain is headquartered in Miami, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ball & Chain make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Food and Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are live Entertainment Admissions and Cover Charges, private Events and Bottle Service and merchandise Sales.
Who are Ball & Chain's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Broken Shaker and Havana 1957. Emerging players are Bodega Taqueria y Tequila and La Tropical Brewery & Beer Garden. Direct peers are Hoy Como Ayer, Versailles Restaurant, Café La Trova, Sweet Liberty Drinks & Co. and Churchill's Pub. The Fillmore Miami Beach is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Ball & Chain have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ball & Chain.
What industry is Ball & Chain in?
Ball & Chain's product category is Live Music Venue and Cuban Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAIAD, Cocktail Lounges & Speakeasies, with a secondary code of THAFAEAC, Nightclubs & Dance Clubs. Its NAICS code is 7224 and its SIC code is 5810.