David Grutman was with one mega-music star when he predicted the next one.
Grutman, who made his mark with LIV nightclub and owns other successful restaurants and nightclubs in Miami, said that in 2017 Drake asked him who was the best reggaeton singer.
"I said it was Bad Bunny," said Grutman. "At the beginning of his career."
The next day, Drake invited Bad Bunny to have dinner at Komodo Miami, one of Grutman's restaurants. The singers formed a bond and together recorded the 2018 hit "MÍA" that has nearly 1.7 billion YouTube views.
Bad Bunny and Grutman now own a restaurant together -- Gekkō, a Japanese steakhouse in in Miami's posh Brickell neighborhood.
How they got there together is one of the ancedotes Grutman shares in his new book, "Take It Personal: How to Succeed by Building Relationships and Playing the Long Game" (Zando), which publishes April 14.
Bad Bunny the college instructor
Grutman's long game with Bad Bunny started at Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, where for five years Grutman has taught a class.
Bad Bunny was a guest.
"We talked about doing Gekkō, we talked about long-term relationships, how you try to give without any currency in return," Grutman said of Bad Bunny's talk with students. "That was a big lesson for the students."
Their collaboration moved to the business world, with the opening of Gekkō.
Anytime there's an opportunity for Bad Bunny to shine a spotlight on the restaurant, he does, Grutman said. He threw a Billboard Music Awards after-party there in October. He's always inviting people to eat there. And he himself loves tasting dishes as they change on the menu.
"He's a great partner," Grutman said. "He likes the whole experience."
Grutman at Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show
When Bad Bunny played his Super Bowl halftime show this year, friends and celebrities were part of the cast. Grutman is shown about 1 minute, 49 seconds into the show, is gathering with others at a "casita" as Bad Bunny performs on the roof.
Bad Bunny drops through the roof, lands in the casita, and walks through the front door at 3 minutes, 36 seconds. Grutman is in a tan outfit and black shirt watching the star while smiling and dancing. It was not a coincidence.
Grutman had attended Bad Bunny's 2025 residency "No Me Quiero Ir de Aqui" (I Don't Want To Leave Here), sold-out shows that generated millions of dollars for the people of Puerto Rico. For the concerts, homages to his Puerto Rican heritage, Bad Bunny built on the stage a similar to La Casita, where celebrities would enjoy his concert and create their own house party.
"I had gone to the residency and went in the casita and they knew how much I loved the casita," Grutman said. "And when I got the call they said he's getting the halftime show. They said, 'And we're going to bring the casita,' and I said, 'Then I'm going to be part of the casita, I'm going to help.' "
Bad Bunny a proud Puerto Rican
Hurricane Maria roared across Puerto Rico in 2017, the deadliest and costliest hurricane in the history of the Caribbean archipelago and U.S. territory.
After the government's bungled response, Bad Bunny helped in the recovery and in the 2019 "Ricky Renuncia" movement. He interrupted his European tour to return to his homeland, organizing protests demanding the resignation of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló, who eventually resigned.
"That kind of put him on the world stage for Puerto Ricans, the fact that this guy who is so popular musically came back and led the protests against him," Grutman said.
"He's the most-proud Puerto Rican I've ever met before in my life," Grutman said. "It's on another level."
Dave Osborn is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and Fort Myers News-Press in Florida.
