Look up the definition of a “Renaissance Man” online, and you might find a picture of Michael Tronn attached to it. 

The cultured man of the Renaissance was known to be knowledgeable, educated and proficient in a wide range of fields. In present-day terms, a renaissance man is a multitasker who has acquired profound knowledge or proficiency in more than one field. That is Tronn to a tee, as he admits to this writer that he does “many things.” 

“I do hospitality design, marketing, fine art and writing prose and lyrics,” said Tronn, the creative director of 3 Hospitality and a nightlife pioneer who has launched more than 30 specialty destination properties in New York, Miami and Los Angeles — the latest being TIMBR, which opened on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale in January. 

TIMBR is the 34th venue Tronn has spearheaded and the first he has conceptualized himself from the ground up on such an epic scale. 

Tronn designed TIMBR personally — from its European storefront, which looks as though it has been there for centuries, to every facet of the theatrical experience of the world of TIMBR within, including all of the decor and each item of custom furniture, as well as inventing the concept of "Vineyard Cuisine.”

Tronn has crafted TIMBR down to the smoothness of the edges of the bricks, making them look as though they are blanketed in a pie crust. 

“This immaculate attention to detail is crafted to ensure TIMBR is more than a restaurant. It is a journey, an adventure, a respite for the soul and an immersive ‘Symphony for the Senses,’ an unparallelled Intagrammer's paradise,” Tronn said. 

TIMBR’s Executive Chef Robyn Almodovar has achieved the goal of bringing the concept of "Vineyard Cuisine" to the TIMBR Experience, where the food is as intentionally prepared as TIMBR's stunning design. She has been working in food service her entire life, having honed her skills at the famous Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School. Almodovar has served up delectable dishes at notable restaurants on the East Coast, both north and south, and has fronted a number of her own businesses.

Tronn is known for being one of the shapers of the nightlife industry as it is today. After a decade of success in New York — producing activations, fashion shows, concerts, photo shoots, product launches and art exhibits — Tronn replicated that success in Miami. He was first hired by Ingrid Casares and Chris Paciello to direct their club in South Beach — the famed celebrity hang-out, Liquid, where he produced dozens of high-fashion charity shows with top designers, such as Anna Sui, in conjunction with Ocean Drive Magazine.

“When I first moved to Miami, I did a fashion-driven event at Liquid when I was the Creative Director there,” Tronn said. “It was called GUIDO, and it ran every Friday. Tracy Young and DJ Smeejay were the resident deejays.”

GUIDO was an uber-VIP weekly recurring theme event, created in a tongue in cheek nod to guidos, as well as a nod to Fellini's 8 1/2. After rebirthing Liquid, Tronn was hired to build and launch The Ice Palace Film Studios, a 100,000 square-foot facility in Downtown Miami owned by the Big Time Productions. He was then contracted to launch and market Crobar — first in Miami and then in New York — both hugely popular and iconic nightclubs. 

Tronn’s biggest gay event was the weekly party, ANTHEM, which ran for five years at Crobar.

“It was the antithetical-circuit-party circuit party, which is why it was so popular,” Tronn said. “It was all about being free to be yourself, being colorful, allowing in the inner queen out. That is why we did not feature muscular men in our ads or encourage conformity or homogeny, but instead celebrated diversity and colorfulness and encouraged fun attire through ANTHEM’s marketing and production and its all-vocal musical format.” 

Additionally and concurrently, Tronn conceived the restaurants Rumi on Lincoln Road and Studio, an art-themed eatery on Ocean Drive, which he also designed. Tronn has worked directly with the City of Miami Beach and The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau to rebrand Miami and the beaches as a whole, with decades long impact.

At 3 Hospitality, Tronn says he and his business partners (CEO Max Van Fleet and Chief Operating Officer Paul Brown) created their partnership out of a “shared passion to bring exemplary experiences to life for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy.” 

“Together, we have more than 70 years of experience bringing expertise, magic and community-enhancing excellence to the cities we develop projects for and in,” Tronn said. 

Tronn hopes his latest specialty destination property, TIMBR, will elevate the hospitality industry, redefine the culinary landscape and bring high design to Fort Lauderdale. 

Though TIMBR is not considered a “gay establishment” like many of his past creations, it does employ many LGBTQ people, including Tronn himself, the chef, pastry chef and many other staff members. Tronn says the location is very unique in that it has two floors and three rooms. 

“Almost no place offers that structure,” Tronn said. “It’s also on Las Olas, the main destination for dining and shopping in Fort Lauderdale. TIMBR is a place where you are sure to be inspired, to feel welcomed and to become supremely relaxed. You will melt into our world so that your spirit will be elevated above all else.”

Tronn says all of his creations are designed to encourage imagination and individual creativity and expression. 

“Be it through immersive experiences, art exhibitions, writing or theater, lifting people up, encouraging self-expression and giving them happiness are always my driving forces,” Tronn said.

Tronn has many other goals besides making TIMBR a success. “Right now in hospitality, my focus is on TIMBR,” Tronn said. “However I am concurrently working on my art, which I exhibit during Miami Beach Pride (Visit michaeltronngallery.com); my writing, long-form prose, lyrics and music. So I have three careers running concurrently.” 

Tronn has written an LGBTQ+ fairy tale, called “The Boy & The Prince,” which he is working on developing into a musical. “I aim to make it the first all-inclusive animated musical feature by Disney,” he said. 

Tronn also has two other musicals in development: “Can’t Stop The Musical,” an adaptation of The Village People’s film, “Can’t Stop The Music,” and another one that takes place in a nightclub. 

“My mom was a Broadway producer, so I guess it’s in my veins,” Tronn said. 

TIMBR is located at 15 W Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale and serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday starting at 5 p.m. The kitchen serves until 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Published with permission from miamilgbtnews.wordpress.com.