Secrets of 10 Miami Restaurant and Bar Names

original article at Zagat.com

If you are a restaurateur, coming up with your eatery’s name is practically the equivalent of coming up with your baby’s name. So naturally, owners take a lot of time and effort in finding just the right one. Here in Miami, there are some pretty interesting stories behind the naming of our restaurants. A roundup of 10 of our favorites:

Ball & Chain

Even though there are several unofficial stories of how this historic Calle Ocho club got its name when it first opened in 1935, current owners believe it was a reference to husband/wife and prison themes. News clippings also show that two of its many owners throughout the years included felons and bootleggers Henry Schechtman and Ray Miller, who purchased the space in the 1950s and decided to keep the building’s original name as a reference to their background and the illegal gambling activity that the venue was known for at the time.