For most restaurateurs, opening a new restaurant would be enough to keep them busy.
Not Rodney Mayo.
In recent months, the longtime restaurateur has launched new concepts, reimagined existing ones and expanded his footprint across Palm Beach County.
The latest addition is Man Ray, a restaurant by night and coffee shop by day that opened to the public Aug. 19 in the former C.W.S. Bar + Kitchen space in Lake Worth Beach.
The opening comes during a period of unusual activity for Mayo's Subculture Group, which has undergone significant changes over the past year.
Ch-ch-ch-changes
Shanghai'd, Chhauka, Tryst and El Segundo
Last year on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, Mayo transformed the former Kapow Noodle Bar into Shanghai'd, a Chinese-inspired concept serving both traditional dishes and nostalgic Chinese-American
favorites.
The change followed his split with business partner Jamie Day, who retained the Kapow name and locations in Boca Raton and Delray Beach.
At the same time, Mayo continues expanding beyond the concepts that helped define his early career.
Chhauka, a modern Indian restaurant in downtown West Palm Beach, opened in early 2026 through a partnership between Mayo and restaurateur Pravin Mascarenhas. That restaurant's culinary direction is led by chef Hemant Mathur, who led New York's Devi and Tulsi to Michelin-star status and helped introduce a generation of American foodies to modern Indian fine dining.
The changes extend beyond West Palm Beach.
In Boca Raton, Mayo rebranded Penelope's as Tryst, while a second El Segundo location expects to open soon at Donald Ross Village in Palm Beach Gardens where its neighbors include Coolinary next door and Ela Curry & Cocktails, both Michelin Guide recommended restaurants.
Reinvention as strategy
The projects are notably different from one another.
While many restaurant groups expand by duplicating successful concepts, Mayo's recent ventures span a range of cuisines and formats, from Chinese-American comfort food and modern Indian dining to chef-driven neighborhood restaurants and a Mexican-inspired eatery.
Mayo previously described reinvention as central to his philosophy. In an earlier interview, he said restaurants are increasingly being forced to adapt to shifting consumer habits.
"We're having to reinvent dining as a whole," Mayo said last year. "People aren't going out as much. It's taking more to get them out."
Mayo's newest latest — Man Ray
That philosophy may help explain Man Ray, which takes its name from the influential surrealist artist and draws inspiration from the anything-goes spirit that once defined Dada, Mayo's longtime Delray Beach restaurant.
Mayo previously said the concept would bring that sense of creativity to Lake Worth Beach.
It does and then some with Fernando Cano's eye-catching black-and-white murals, wrapping the space in a whimsical mix of portraits, quotations and surrealist touches.
Chef Teryl Brooks' menu reads like a culinary road trip across America, with dishes tied to places ranging from New Orleans and Miami to Vermont and Texas. The lineup includes shrimp roll sliders, blue crab dip, cedar plank salmon, Cajun jambalaya and steak frites. Small plates range from $14 to $22, while entrées top out at $36.
The beverage program also takes a more curated approach than many newly opened restaurants. Rather than relying heavily on widely distributed household wine brands, the concise list includes selections from producers such as Paul Hobbs, André Vatan, Hermann J. Wiemer, Maritana and Brancaia, with most glasses priced between $12 and $21. House cocktails are priced at $16, with several spirit-free options available for $12.
Beyond restaurants
The recent activity comes as Mayo continues to oversee a portfolio that extends beyond restaurants.
Over the past several decades, he's built a collection of businesses that include Respectable Street, Hullabaloo, Subculture Coffee and The Peach, an arts-focused campus in West Palm Beach.
With Man Ray now open, Chhauka serving dinner and another El Segundo location on the horizon, Mayo's hospitality group remains in expansion mode even as individual concepts continue to evolve.
Hours: Man Ray as a coffee shop from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner service kicks off at 5 p.m. During my visit in between coffee and dinner service, folks were enjoying the outside bar which is covered and has fans that cool the space.
Details: 522 Lucerne Ave, Lake Worth Beach, 561-335-3329, sub-culture.org/man-ray
Diana Biederman is the Palm Beach Post's food & restaurant writer. Care to share news tips about the local dining scene? Please send them to dbiederman@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Subculture group opens coffee shop / restaurant in its wave of change
