Nathan Kaplan left his family's real estate business to build something closer to the life he wanted to live. That decision led to Grotto Baths, a social bathhouse preparing to open in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood.

In this episode of The Hospitality Mentor Podcast, Steve Turk sits down with Nathan to explore how the idea became a business. Nathan shares how CrossFit changed his relationship with wellness and community, why he stepped away from a familiar career, and what it took to find a location, secure financing and bring the right partners together.

They also get into the guest experience: sauna rituals, cold plunges, an outdoor café, and the challenge of growing a membership community while protecting access for the people who join.

Nathan closes with a reminder for anyone building a business: approach the work with “I get to” instead of “I have to.”

What you will learn

• Leaving a family business to pursue your own direction
• Turning an interest in wellness and community into a hospitality concept
• Finding a Miami location and financing the project
• Building a team with complementary skills
• How six parking spaces helped shape the café concept
• Balancing membership growth with the guest experience
• Staying grounded through the pressure of opening

Grotto was preparing to open when this conversation was recorded in September 2026. Visit its website for the latest opening and membership updates.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Nathan Kaplan of Grotto Baths

01:48 How CrossFit sparked a wellness shift

04:05 Growing up in a real estate family

05:09 Leaving the family business and finding support

08:16 How the Grotto Baths idea took shape

11:01 What makes a social bathhouse different

13:25 Finding a Miami location and financing the vision

15:58 Building the hospitality team and guest experience

19:51 Growing Grotto’s founding member community

21:09 Balancing membership growth and the guest experience

22:18 Sauna rituals, cold plunges and the outdoor café

25:06 Nathan’s advice on approaching the work

Links

Grotto Baths

Nathan Kaplan on LinkedIn

Presented by Lodgify.

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