Sadly, Versace’s murder in 1997 would change Ocean Drive. As Ocean Drive became a hot spot for fashion models, photoshoots, and music videos in the early nineties, Palace stood at its epicenter. Versace frequented the eatery regularly, often bringing friends like Luciano Pavarotti, Elton John, Madonna, and Princess Diana to dine with him. Palace first launched around the same time that designer Gianni Versace emerged in Miami's South Beach. It was a catastrophe, but not the first storm to hit Palace in its 33-year history. He then whipped out his phone and began emailing clients and staff to rearrange the coming weeks of planned events and promotions, trying to determine if any could be salvaged or restructured.
The first thing he and his management team did was order a complete sanitization of Palace. “We were given a few hours to close and send employees home,” Donall remembers.
It’s been a wildly successful run. Last spring, Donall was in negotiations to buy the location next door in order to expand Palace, when he learned that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had just declared a state of emergency. “The evening will be a time to laugh, dance, and reflect back on thirty-three triumphant years of Palace and the amazing community it serves,” Donall continues. But the Palace Divas, including Shanaya Bright, Elishaly D Witshes, Tlo Ivy, and Fantasía Royale, will still be on hand to perform their latest show-stopping acts.