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FURIA has announced its intention to launch a new establishment in Miami, Florida, to increase its US presence. The venue will feature a FURIA clothing stall, a LAN house, an event area and a stage for esports enthusiasts to watch live FURIA games.
FURIA, which is well known for its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team, previously made its intention of global expansion known and this move brings the company a step towards achieving its goal. The location will begin operations in October or November this year and occupies around 5200 square feet.
The new establishment would be in the Wynwood neighborhood located in northern Miami. The location will be in accordance with FURIA’s intention of morphing into a cultural trend due to the area’s reputation as a global center for street art.
André Akkari, FURIA’s co-founder, talked about the company’s efforts to connect to fans physically and give them a chance to interact with the team.
He said, “We don’t want to connect with fans and people who engage with FURIA only through digital means or through opportunities in big events. We want to have physical contact with them somehow; we want them to visit us, interact with the team, and talk with influencers, athletes, and even the staff. It creates a different heat around the brand.”
Akkari further revealed that while the public could enter the establishment for free, the other areas in the new venue would bring in revenue. The clothing shop, the LAN house as well as the events area for hosting occasions with activating sponsors would generate income for the company.
The co-founder also explained that the major reason FURIA decided to open a venue such as this in the US, despite its Brazilian heritage, was a result of the real estate opportunity in the area. Wynwood reportedly provided an opportunity that aligned with the organization’s business model.
The company has Brazil as the next location for the “FURIA Experience”, and preparations will reportedly kick off next year. São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are both being considered to build an establishment even bigger than the one in the US. If the Brazilian venue is opened according to plan and thrives, FURIA revealed that they would move on to establish several other locations in Europe.
Akkari said, “Our objective is to have one of those [facilities] in each of the biggest cities in the world.”
The co-founder revealed that a total of US$1 million was set aside for the Wynwood project, with an estimate of around $700,000 and $850,000 being spent on the venue. The company was entirely responsible for the investments; however, other brands involved in the project include PokerStars, AOC, the monitor brand, and FTX.
PokerStars is a poker card room that conducts operations online while FTX is a cryptocurrency exchange company. Each company will provide its products and services for the upcoming venue; for instance, AOC would supply the monitors needed for the establishment. Besides their Miami project, FURIA also has another outlet in US – an operational office in Boca Raton, also in Florida.
