March 29, 2024

EN ESPA

Urban Advantages: Diamonds in the Rough

Florida offers plenty of incentives to help companies find the beauty that lies beneath.

ENTERPRISE ZONES

A Dream Comes True

When Kavita Kamlani first saw the site her husband Sham had picked out for their South Florida restaurant, she thought he’d lost his mind.

“Oh, it was horrible,” she says. “So much dirt, so many bugs. And the smell — it was just awful.”

The Kamlanis had been looking forward to their move from New York to Miami, where they would be near family and finally realize their dream of opening a very special Indian restaurant. But what Kavita saw at the location her husband was suggesting looked more like a nightmare than a sweet dream to her.

What Sham saw, on the other hand, was potential. “I liked the location and I could see beyond the mess. I knew this could be the place.”

A short time later, at a Miami-Dade County Chamber of Commerce function, Sham overheard a conversation about tax incentives available to companies that choose to locate in Urban Enterprise Zones. Sham started asking questions. Before long, he realized that the site he’d chosen in a section of South Beach that had yet to be renovated might make his restaurant eligible for some financial rewards.

“Since we’re in an Enterprise Zone, we’re eligible for a reduction on our state sales tax for employing people who live in the area,” Sham explains. “That’s been a great assistance to get us up and running.”

The first two years for any business, especially a restaurant, he notes, can be challenging, and it’s not unusual to operate at a loss as you struggle to get off the ground. “The Enterprise Zone benefit made the difference in our operating in the hole versus breaking even during the first months of operation. This one benefit saves me around $6,000 each month.”

The Kamlanis gave their South Beach restaurant an interesting name. They call it “Ishq” (pronounced: ih-shk), which is the Indian word for passionate love. They chose that name because they say it describes their own relationship so well. More than 40 years ago, Kavita and Sham began their life together in a marriage arranged by their parents. Through the years, as they built their family and their businesses, including this latest one in Miami, the Kamlanis say they’ve learned a precious lesson: A situation might not initially be what you think you want, but, with hard work and a team spirit, something beautiful — Ishq — can result.

Ishq
By siting their restaurant “Ishq” in an Enterprise Zone and employing people from the neighborhood, Sham and Kavita Kamlani became eligible for sales tax credits.

Tags: Environment, Business Florida

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