Black Owned Business

Miami HEAT

Located in the heart of Little Haiti, Clive’s Cafe brings amazing Jamaican flavor and flare to the 305. We sat down with owner Norman Murray to talk about his South Florida gem.

How did Clive’s Cafe first come to be?&nbsp;That’s a long story. It started in Jamaica and then to Miami with my mom and my aunt back in 1975. They had a spot in Wynwood between 8th street and North Miami Avenue at the time. When they first started, they were serving up more Latin food because the place they purchased was originally Latin cuisine. It wasn’t until they started getting a few island customers from Jamaica which led them into testing out more Jamaican dishes into their menu. Shortly after, Clive’s Cafe was born.

In 2004, I came in and decided to open a second location in Little Haiti. When the boom of Wynwood started to happen, my mom, my aunt, and I decided to bring everything to one location. It’s still the same old, homestyle cooking that everyone knows and loves. Everything is made in-house, even down to the seasoning and the sauces!

An awesome family business!&nbsp;Where did the name “Clive’s” come from?&nbsp;My brother. When we were on 8th street, he used to deliver the food to all the old-school warehouses down there and we decided to call it Clive’s.

What type of food do you specialize in serving?&nbsp;Caribbean food, a.k.a. Jamaican. Our top sellers would be our world-famous jerk chicken, oxtail, and seafood. Lots of seafood! We have a jerk chicken pasta right now that’s incredible. Our curry goat is also a fan favorite.

Cue the mouthwatering. What is something you’re most proud of about your business?That we’re able to help the community out and show our talents and our culture to the world through the restaurant.

How important is it for you to represent your culture in South Florida?&nbsp;Everyone goes to Jamaica for whatever reason they go for. It might be the music, the good food, the beautiful waters, or the fresh air. Our culture is a happy culture. We just like to party and have fun. I’m blessed I get to bring that and delicious Jamaican food to Miami.&nbsp; &nbsp;

How has Clive’s Cafe been able to help the local community?&nbsp;Giving employment is a big one. Also, during holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and even during Back-to-School time, I’ve been able to donate food to the community.

That’s amazing. Has there ever been a piece of advice that someone gave you that has stuck with you to this day?I was always raised in a household of entrepreneurs. My family is made up of a ton of different businesses, anything from roofing, plumbing, electrical, and even working on airplanes. I didn’t really have a word of advice I just had a lot of role models. My thing was just to get up and do something.

Being a local Black-owned business, what are words of wisdom you can pass along to others looking to start their own businesses?Never give up!

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Black-Owned Business Spotlight: Clive's Cafe

With southern roots and a vast amount of culinary experience, power couple Akino and Jamila West pushed through pandemic adversity to create incredible food for the Miami community through their restaurant, Rosie’s. We sat down with Akino to talk about his amazing food and how the business got to where it is today.

What’s the story behind how Rosie’s first came to be?It was mid-pandemic. We used to own Copper Door B&B in Overtown, down the street from Miami-Dade Arena. We were going through a lot of ups and downs as a result of the pandemic, unsure if we would get guests through the door and how long the pandemic would last. Eventually, we had to make the decision to rethink the space. We then had the idea of opening a restaurant temporarily, and already had thoughts about opening Rosie’s at the bottom of our boutique hotel. We finally decided to try it as a pop-up doing to-go orders. From there, it took off.&nbsp;

We ended up in our new location when one of the developers in Little River came and said they had a space that they wanted to bring us in on to build out a restaurant. Their mission in Little River was to keep the community as is while making small changes. So, we took over a historic house and added on internally to make our restaurant out of that space. Right now, we’re operating out of the backyard with plans to open the inside soon. There’s so much character and history and this was an amazing opportunity.

That space sounds so great! Where did the name “Rosie’s” come from?&nbsp;It has a few meanings behind it. One is based on Jamila’s mother whose name is Rosa, but her nickname was Rosie. My mom also loved roses. The name Rosie’s was a great way to pay homage to all the great things that our mothers and grandmothers have done for us as they were the ones who taught us about cooking southern food.&nbsp;

That’s so special. Speaking of southern food, what type of food is served at your restaurant?&nbsp;It's a southern concept with some Italian nuances. You’ll see small highlights here and there on the menu that depicts the Italian flair. It’s something I really enjoy cooking and eating and have always enjoyed making pasta at home. Southern food though, is my base. It’s what I grew up with, what I know and what my parents would cook. Every day, we would go over to my great-grandmother's house and she used to always have a pot of grits on the stove, always. We took that memory and now make sure we have a pot of grits on the stove every morning for our guests, and that plays a big part in our story today.&nbsp;

Can’t go wrong with good grits! What’s a fan-favorite dish you create?Our wild mushroom polenta is a highlight. Everyone enjoys it. We also make bomb a** chicken too. Can’t go wrong with the chicken and biscuits. We’ve been working on our biscuit recipe for the last 12 years.&nbsp;

Woah. That sounds amazing. What’s something you’re most proud of about your business?The growth of it. We started super small from having maybe one or two to-go orders a day to now doing 250-300 a day. It’s amazing. We were also just recently nominated for a James Beard Award for Emerging Chef. To me, it means that we’re being recognized for the things we’re doing in our community and within the food. It also means that my team has done an amazing job as well because I can’t do it by myself.&nbsp;

Congratulations on the nomination! We also hear you received a grant from Beyoncé’s Beygood Foundation. How did this impact you and your business?&nbsp;For us, being a small business, we had to find a way to pivot and find something that could help us with our business. Jamila applied and we won the grant! We took that money to build our outdoor restaurant and took the remaining funds to buy a food trailer which allowed us to have a commercial kitchen on wheels. It allowed us to expand and help our community. It was honestly perfect timing.&nbsp;&nbsp;

You mention things you’ve done in the community. Can you tell us a little about that?&nbsp;&nbsp;When the pandemic originally started, we passed out 15,000 meals and worked with other organizations to also donate food to the community. It was awesome. We really enjoyed doing that and giving back. When the Surfside tragedy happened, we also worked with World Central Kitchen and shut down our restaurant to bring our food truck over there to give meals to first responders. I have so much appreciation and so much love for what they were doing. I couldn’t physically go in there to help but I could at least help keep the first responders fed working those insane hours helping to save lives.&nbsp;

What’s one piece of advice someone gave you that will stick with you forever?I’ve always been taught to never change who you are. No matter how big your name gets or how much notoriety you receive, still, be the person that people know you as. That’s something that my mom has always taught me, to be you. Don’t be someone different as you start to grow and achieve new things.&nbsp;

Being a local Black-owned business, what are words of wisdom you can pass along to others looking to start their own businesses?&nbsp;Get a mentor. That would be my number one piece of advice and I really do believe in this. Find someone that you look up to and someone that has a successful business. Ask them to be your mentor, sit down with them and ask them all the questions. They are the ones that will tell you what they did right and wrong, and what you’re doing right and wrong. It’s the only way you’ll grow.&nbsp;

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Black-Owned Business Spotlight: Rosie’s

Starting their culinary journey as a local food truck, owner Nicole Gates and chef Karim Bryant are the dynamic duo that created this little but mighty spot in Overtown, serving up incredible soul-food dishes that do not disappoint. We sat down with Nicole to talk about what makes Lil Greenhouse Grill so unique.

How did Lil Greenhouse Grill first come to be?&nbsp;&nbsp;Lil Greenhouse Grill was birthed out of a need for a dine-in family-style restaurant that served dinner and provided entertainment to a community that had to travel to other places to have dinner with family.

Any significance to the “Lil” in the name?&nbsp;Absolutely. It’s because we are a bit smaller than “Little!” “Lil” is slang for “little” but carries a BIG personality! That’s who we are…small in size but huge in quality and customer service.

There’s no doubt about that! Also big is the taste category! What type of food are you serving?American soul-inspired cuisine. It’s classic African-American soul-food featuring vegetarian and healthy prepared options.

Is there a fan-favorite dish that you create?Sure is! We have many, but our best-selling item is the BBQ ribs, smoked in-house with applewood and hickory! The sauce is the superstar!

Those look amazing! Your business is located in one of Miami’s oldest and most historical neighborhoods. What has been the greatest thing about growing your business in Overtown?&nbsp;Being able to contribute to the economic growth and progressively positive narrative that is drawing people to our soulful community!

What has been the most challenging thing?&nbsp;The economy. Changes to how consumers use restaurants have caused us to be creative in our offerings, messaging, and how we get our food to customers.

Even during those challenges, you’ve always made it a point to help your community. Talk to us about how your business has been able to support those in need.During the pandemic, Chef Bryant and our entire team here at Lil Greenhouse Grill joined together with World Central Kitchen and Food Rescue US to provide hot and healthy meals on a weekly basis to those that were in need.

You’re rockstars. What’s something you’re most proud of about your business?Our superior ratings on Google and Yelp. The people have spoken, and we appreciate their feedback, which is ultimately the architect of our business.

We hear even Oprah got a taste of your delicious food! Tell us about that experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;She did! It was amazing to have Oprah, Gayle King, and CBS shine a light on our business. Three years later, we are still feeling the effects of that powerful visit. We’re grateful our work ethic and pursuit of excellence were worthy.

What a cool memory! We also hear you were one of the recipients to the Udonis Haslem Foundation’s Small Business Grant. How were you and your business positivity effected from receiving the grant?Wow! Just wow! To be one of the first recipients of the Udonis Haslem Foundation Small Business Grant was so encouraging and humbling. Those funds are preparing us to go to the next level in branding, marketing, and expansion. Those funds helped us to add to our catering department and are giving us a competitive edge in a very saturated market. Catering has proven to be a great source of revenue for our business.&nbsp;

Being a local Black-owned business, what are words of wisdom you can pass along to others looking to start their businesses?&nbsp;&nbsp;It's an honor and a privilege to be a Black-owned business. It's our responsibility to be a GOOD business.

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Black-Owned Business Spotlight: Lil Greenhouse Grill 

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Health In The Hood: Connecting Communities Through Wellness

This Women’s History Month we honor women who are making a difference in our communities. We’d like to shed light on two women leading Health in the Hood, an important partners of ours - Founder Asha Loring and Opa Locka Community Garden Manager Corine Newsome. Health in the Hood is a non-profit which began as a passion and is now on a mission to end food disparity in South Florida, striving to create a comprehensive health and wellness environment for urban communities that don’t have access to natural food supply.

Asha has made a conscious effort to create eight farms in South Florida with most of them in the northwest quadrant of Liberty City, Overtown, Miami Gardens, Pinewood, and Little Haiti, and one more farm they’re currently building. She noticed the need for healthy and natural food sources in these urban communities, which led her to educate families about these programs.

Health in the Hood is the answer to food insecurity, as a local 501c(3) that builds vegetable gardens in food deserted neighborhoods throughout the 326 food deserts in South Florida. The program receives land donations and converts them into various vegetable gardens. To maintain the gardens, they hire local residences in the neighborhood who serve as great educators for students and families to connect with their food source, learn about nutrition, and how to grow their own food.

Being a women entrepreneur is extremely rewarding for Asha, as she mentions, “we have so much work as women so to navigate through makes me feel very proud. Makes me feel like my story can inspire other women who want to suppress those barriers.” 90% of the garden managers are women who nurture the plants in the gardens.

Corine Newsome joined the Health in the Hood program in 2013 and lives in the Opa-Locka neighborhood managing their garden. Her involvement began when she saw a garden in need of maintenance by her home. She began to pull out the weeds and put the vegetables to the side. One day Asha came by the garden and saw her maintaining it, and that is when she asked Corine to join Health in the Hood.

“Community is more than where you stay. I’ve always seen my neighborhood as where I reside. But to really be in the garden, you run into issues like watering the grounds. For the neighbors to pay attention and connect the water hoses to help me water the garden. Community is unity more than anything and it really makes me look at my surrounding area differently,” said Corine

Corine and the Health in the Hood organization are breaking the stereotype of what a typical gardener looks like. She along with her team of volunteers is taking risks and going for it when it comes to planting. She’s a big advocate in getting out there and doing something to help grow the community.

Shop from the Court Culture Social Justice Collection. 100% of the profits will be donated directly to organizations supporting African American communities, including Health in the Hood and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.

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The Women of Health in the Hood

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Created by a 16-year-old local designer, this luxury leather company specializes in high-fashion handbags, wallets and leather jackets. #YoungQueen

100% soy candles, hand-poured in Miami. "It's time to get Littyy!"

3. The Bang Shack - World Famous Bang Dip!

As seen on Shark Tank, these dips are OUT OF THIS WORLD! Made with love and some pretty nifty ingredients, your taste buds will be blown away at one bite. Also comes in vegetarian and vegan!

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A family-owned nursery in Miami perfect for those with a green thumb. “Life is good, gardening makes it better!”

A Black-owned and women led handmade soap and skincare company.

A Miami-based studio specializing in weddings, events and elevated flower delivery.

Beautiful handmade resin products created out of Pembroke Pines.

A unique Haitian style hot sauce made with 100% fresh ingredients and is full of flavor!

Delightfully designed stationary, crafting projects and planner goodies that you can print at home. Your printer just became your best friend!

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10 Small Black-Owned Businesses You Need to Check Out Now

Catherine Hinds, otherwise known as Chef Cat, knows how to THROW DOWN in the kitchen. Her extensive knowledge in the culinary world allows her to create unique and delicious meals (even plant-based!), serving as a private chef to a number of celebrity athletes and beyond. Chef Cat has also been featured on the Food Network show, Cutthroat Kitchen!

How’d you get into your cooking career?

I’m a Miami Native. I’ve always had a thing for culinary arts, and I went to culinary school in 2007. I worked in local restaurants around South Florida until I wanted to find a different lane in the culinary field. My goal was to be independent and work for myself.

When did your private chef business come into play?

My private chef business came into play the moment I decided to believe in myself. I started to barter my services until I landed my first clients which hired me for three years.

We hear Chef Richard (Dwyane Wade’s chef) has been a mentor of yours in the past.

Chef Richard is awesome. He’s been with Dwyane since his early 20s and has been great assisting me in making healthy and tasteful recipes.

How has it been for you creating meals for professional athletes? What does a typical day look like?

It’s pretty fun! Every day and every client is different. For Tyler, a typical day starts before he’s awake, prepping breakfast. I’m around the clock making snacks for the day and pregame meals before lunch time rolls around.

The first meal I ever created for Tyler was for Christmas Eve brunch with his family. I made sweet potato pancakes with candied walnuts, maple bacon and home style potatoes.

Does he have a go-to/favorite dish you make?

Louise’s Trattoria’s pappardelle with Italian sausage. His manager happened to find the recipe from Louise’s back home in Milwaukee that closed down a few years ago.

How do you keep the diversity of food flowing in the kitchen?

I keep diversity of food in the kitchen by going out to eat, seeing what is trending in restaurants and watching Food Network. It keeps me inspired and creative.

If you had to choose one thing that should be in everyone’s diet, what would that be?

Quinoa! It’s a complex carb, great in protein and fiber. It can be used for breakfast in a hash or porridge, for lunch in wraps or bowls and a great dinner replacement and more nutrient dense then rice.

Right now, my favorite meal to create is walnut meat raviolis with a cashew cream sauce. It blows people’s mind to make meat out of walnuts. I love their reactions.

Being a female Black-owned business owner, what advice do you have for others who may want to explore the culinary world and start their own business?

My advice would be to make sure you’re doing it with love and passion first. The culinary business has its ups and downs, and you have to find your niche that aligns with what makes you happy.

What has been your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment thus far has been to be able to give back to my family and the community.

Want to see more? Check her out here! @chefcat_miami

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Black-Owned Business Spotlight: Chef Cat, Private Chef to Tyler Herro

What's the story behind Hoop Dream Studios? How did it come to life?

Hoop Dream Studios came to life during my time in undergrad at Loyola Marymount University where I majored in Fine Arts. I had an assignment for a design class (Concept to Form) and that's when I decided to create a basketball hoop to submit. But, in reality, it was so I could take it home and ball out in the apartment with my roommates.

After crafting the first one and many intense games of indoor horse, my friends started asking me to commission custom hoops for them, so I started to take it a bit more serious. After selling a few and seeing people's reactions, I knew I had something special.

I created the Instagram account, @hoopdreamstudios, and shortly after received a DM from Rich the Kid to make a custom one. From there, it snowballed to where I am today.

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Hoop Dream Studios

The creativity on these hoops isn't unnoticed. What inspires you?

Thanks, I appreciate that. I'd say my biggest inspiration comes from reading and studying different art movements from the past. Currently, my favorite is the Bauhaus movement from the 1920s. I think being able to have historical references rooted in art, design, and overall lifestyle culture really helps push me to think bigger when it comes to creating the hoops.

Typically, there's one image that comes to mind when people think of a basketball hoop, but I'm constantly trying to find ways and apply new methods to make my art stand out. The goal is to create a timeless piece that can stand on its own, or in this case, hang on its own.

We hear you made some custom hoops for K-Nunn. What was that collaboration like?

Working with K-Nunn was a cool experience. He reached out around the same time the NBA bubble was beginning to start up. We were really able to collaborate on the piece, which was great. We went back and forth on a few possibilities. One option we liked had us using one of his old jerseys but, ultimately, he decided he wanted to go with the classic Black Velvet Hoop in three different sizes (26-inch, 32-inch, and 50-inch, a full-size backboard and regulation rim). I loved the process of working with him and getting to make these pieces come to life.

Tough question. There's too many to choose from. I guess if I absolutely had to pick, it would be Hoop Dream Studios collaboration with A.S. Roma, the Italian Soccer Club. The process of deconstructing the Roma jersey and re-applying it to texturize the hoop was a fun experience. Another favorite would definitely be the commissioned piece for Young Thug's So Much Fun album release party. The slime green hoop looked nuts.

As a Black-owned business owner, what advice can you offer to other Black entrepreneurs? (P.S. - Congrats on being a finalist in the 2020 OBWS Black Entrepreneur of the Year Awards! Pretty amazing accomplishment!)

Thank you! As a Black business owner, my advice to other Black entrepreneurs is to always trust your gut and don't be afraid to let your unique voice and point of view be displayed through your work. Simple advice, but it continues to hold true.