Bernie Moreno, who was born in Ohio but has lived in South Florida since he was a child, just opened an Infiniti car dealership in Coral Gables. For him, it’s not just a business but the fulfillment of a childhood dream.
“I grew up here as a kid,” Moreno said. “I moved here when I was 4. I left to go to college when I was 18, but during those 14 years I always loved cars. When I was a little kid I literally visited every car dealership around here, so here I am back, full circle, where I grew up, but actually owning the dealership in basically my home town.”
The dealership, located at 2701 LeJeune Road in Coral Gables, is the largest Infiniti dealership in the world. It took six years to “get it done” and is the first Infiniti dealership in the city, a fact which surprises him.
“The Infiniti brand has existed since 1989 but has never been in the heart of the market here in Coral Gables,” Moreno said.
Besides an extraordinarily spacious and luxurious showroom the dealership boasts a coffee bar serving espresso and cappuccino from Ospina (a premium brand sold only in Europe for $130 a pound), a children’s play area and a nail bar where women can get their fingernails done.
“One of the things that always perplexed me is that people don’t think about buying cars or servicing cars in a positive way,” Moreno said.
“They think of it as a negative. I always thought the same thing growing up, so when I started my company my mission was to change the way people perceive buying cars.
“When you look here you don’t think you’re in a car dealership, you think you’re in a high-end hospitality area like a resort, and it just happens that cars are the product. So for me this is the fulfillment of that dream.”
There are eight models of Infiniti cars; five SUV’s, two sedans and one two-door coupe. The parent company is Nissan, and the dealership also handles used cars and service. It’s his only dealership in Florida, but he has others in Kentucky, Massachusetts and Ohio. He’s especially fond of the brand.
“Infiniti is a great product, so there’s a lot of value in the car,” Moreno said. “Unlike a lot of other luxury brands, with Infiniti they include the full car with a lot of standard features rather than nickel and diming you on other things. They give you a pretty complete car and they give you a lot of value for the money.
“There are some luxury cars that are amazing cars, but the pricing is crazy. This is a very value-oriented brand. We have sedans you can lease for under $300 a month, so it’s not a crazy stretch to think you can own a luxury car. They’re incredibly reliable and have great performance, and have amazing technology. And they look great.”
The dealership just had a mini car show on Sevilla, the street adjacent to the building, called “Cars & Cappuccino,” and there are more events in store.
“We’ll be engaging with the community like we do at all of our dealerships, and we’ll be doing charity events here,” Moreno said.
For more information call 305-779-5050.
