The Albany Gazette - Mama Hospitality Deepens West Palm Beach Investment With Two New Concepts Opening This Fall

WEST PALM BEACH, FL / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2026 / Mama Hospitality, the hospitality group behind celebrated modern supper club Mary Lou's, is deepening its investment in West Palm Beach with the opening of two new concepts before the end of the year, growing the group's local portfolio from one to three distinct venues.

Lillys, a new rooftop restaurant, bar and pool experience at The Nora Hotel, is slated to open in November, followed in December by Macs 44, a 3,600-square-foot performance-driven social salon built around live music, artistry and theatrical entertainment located at 825 N. Railroad Avenue within the Nora District. Together, the openings mark a significant expansion for Mama Hospitality in the market where the group first established its presence with Mary Lou's and reflect its continued investment in West Palm Beach as the city undergoes a period of significant growth and development.

For founders Alex Melillo, Joe Cervasio and Topher Grubb, the openings represent the next phase of Mama Hospitality's growth in a market that has played an important role in shaping the company.

"West Palm Beach has been part of our story from the beginning, and we've had a front-row seat to how quickly the city has evolved," said Joe Cervasio, Co-Founder, Mama Hospitality. "There is an incredible mix of longtime residents, new energy and investment coming into the area, but what continues to excite us is the opportunity to create concepts that feel specific to this community. With Lillys and Macs 44, we're investing further in a market we know and believe in, while creating two very different experiences that add something new to the city."

Mama Hospitality Deepens Its West Palm Beach Roots

Mama Hospitality first established its presence in West Palm Beach with Mary Lou's, the intimate modern supper club known for pairing elevated hospitality with an ambitious entertainment program in a deliberately intimate setting. Since opening, Mary Lou's has built a reputation for bringing world-class DJs, artists and performers into a room designed for only a few hundred guests, creating the kind of high-touch, high-energy experience more commonly associated with much larger nightlife destinations.

The concept has since expanded beyond Palm Beach through seasonal residences in Montauk and Miami, alongside activations surrounding major cultural moments including Formula 1, Coachella and Art Basel. Its success has helped establish Mama Hospitality's broader approach to creating experience-driven concepts where hospitality, entertainment, music and culture are treated as interconnected rather than separate elements.

This fall, Mama Hospitality will build on that foundation with two distinctly different concepts, growing its West Palm Beach portfolio from one to three venues before the end of the year.

Lillys Brings Mama Hospitality to The Nora Hotel

Opening later this month atop The Nora Hotel, Lillys is an original concept conceived and developed by Mama Hospitality that reimagines the traditional hotel rooftop and pool as an all-day destination where dining, cocktails, music and culture come together.

Lillys encompasses three interconnected experiences under one identity: Lillys Pool, anchoring the daytime hotel guest experience with poolside dining and service; Bar Lilly, an exclusive aperitif lounge built around cocktails, conversation and sunset energy; and Cafe Lilly, a refined, full-service restaurant,all in collaboration with Starr Restaurants, serving as the rooftop's culinary centerpiece.

Beyond food and beverage, programming will be central to the Lillys experience, with live music, poolside sets, special events, performances and unexpected collaborations spanning music, fashion, art, food and culture. Together, the concept brings Mama Hospitality's signature approach to storytelling, atmosphere and entertainment to one of West Palm Beach's newest hospitality developments.

Macs 44 Marks Mama Hospitality's Third West Palm Beach Concept

Following Lillys opening, Mama Hospitality will debut Macs 44 in December, marking the group's third distinct concept in West Palm Beach and further expanding its footprint in the market.

The 80-seat, 3,600-square-foot venue at 825 N. Railroad Avenue in the Nora District will introduce an immersive salon built around the tradition of the intimate world of art, performance, music, food, and unexpected experiences-where people gather to connect, discover, and be surprised. Each evening will feature an intentionally programmed live production combining music, vocal performance, choreography and theatrical entertainment, with the show evolving throughout the night. Mama Hospitality worked directly with NDT Development on the deal, with no outside broker involved.

Performance will be fundamental to the Macs 44 experience where the unexpected should be expected. Each evening will unfold through intentionally programmed shows that bring together live music, artistry and choreography, with the entertainment evolving throughout the night. The result is a contemporary interpretation of the classic salon, where light bites, cocktails and performance are conceived as one cohesive experience.

"Macs 44 is our interpretation of what a true performance-driven salon can be today," said Alex Melillo, co-founder of Mama Hospitality. "We wanted to create a room where the entertainment isn't simply an addition to the evening - it's the main event. Every night will be intentionally programmed, from the music and choreography to the way the energy of the room evolves throughout the evening. It's intimate, theatrical and rooted in incredible hospitality, but ultimately it's about putting artistry back at the center of a night out."

Designed by Co-Founder Alex Melillo and Jason Volenec of Volenec Studios, Macs 44 will reinterpret the glamour, intimacy and showmanship of a bygone era of nightlife through a distinctly contemporary lens. The stage will serve as both the physical and creative focal point of the room, with the space designed around an evolving program of musicians, vocalists and performers.

The beverage program will take center stage, complemented by a tightly edited menu of five to six dishes, including caviar service, small raw plates, luxury bar snacks and late-night classics. A liquor locker program will allow regular guests to keep favorite bottles on property, reinforcing the intimate, club-like nature of the experience.

Like Mary Lou's, Macs 44 draws its name and inspiration from a real person. Michael "Mr. Mac" McEvoy, grandfather of Mama Hospitality co-founders Topher and Dottie Grubb, was a prominent American executive who rose from Mobile, Alabama, to lead Sea-Land and R.J. Reynolds Industries. Outside the boardroom, McEvoy was a trained opera singer and consummate host whose love of music and entertaining was as central to his identity as his career in business. His life at the intersection of business, music and hospitality serves as the foundation for Macs 44 and its approach to the venue.

The opening comes amid continued investment and development across West Palm Beach, with Nora transforming a former industrial corridor into a mixed-use district centered around dining, retail, hospitality and lifestyle. Macs 44 will add a late-night entertainment component to the growing district as it continues to establish itself as a new destination within the city

"From the beginning, our vision for Nora has been to create a district that brings together best-in-class operators and gives people a reason to stay, explore and return throughout the day and into the evening," said Ned Grace, Co-Founder & Managing Director, NDT Development. "Mama Hospitality has already demonstrated its ability to create concepts that resonate in West Palm Beach, and Macs 44 brings something entirely new to the district. Its combination of hospitality, live performance and late-night energy adds another dimension to Nora and to the continued evolution of this part of the city."

Macs 44 is slated to open in December 2026 at 825 N Railroad Ave, West Palm Beach, Florida, and will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

For more information, visit macs-44.com or follow @macs44pb on Instagram.

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About Mama Hospitality

Mama Hospitality, founded by Alex Melillo, Joe Cervasio, and Topher Grubb, develops hospitality concepts that blur the lines between dining, nightlife, and culture. Best known for Mary Lou's - the modern supper club with locations in West Palm Beach, Montauk, and Miami - the group has built a reputation for creating destination venues where exceptional food and drink, thoughtful design, live entertainment, and an ever-evolving social atmosphere come together. Rooted in the belief that hospitality should be immersive, every concept is designed to feel dynamic, unexpected, and distinctly of its place.

Building on Mary Lou's success, Mama Hospitality continues to expand its portfolio through original concepts, destination restaurants, nightlife experiences, and collaborations with leading luxury hospitality brands. With several new projects in development, the group remains focused on creating places that surprise, delight, and bring people together in unexpected ways.

From intimate supper clubs to destination restaurants and hotel partnerships, Mama Hospitality creates spaces where every detail - from the music and design to the people in the room - is carefully considered, creating places where every visit feels familiar, yet no two evenings unfold quite the same way.

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SOURCE: Mama Hospitality

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(T.Martin--TAG)