"It’s all about love because it’s a tough business."
Five years ago, Miami Beach entrepreneur Kathia Joseph was on the verge of closing her first restaurant. With one of her dreams hanging in the balance, she refused. Instead, she pivoted by turning the business into a hookah lounge, a decision that ended up being profitable.
“I’m the type of person that never gives up,” said Joseph, 40. “I said that I’m not going to close.”
Joseph’s knack for betting on herself is what led her to open Casa Matilda, a Miami Beach steakhouse, in early 2024. In her first year of running the business, the Washington Avenue restaurant has welcomed celebrities ranging from rapper 50 Cent to actor Cuba Gooding Jr. and multiple cast members of the “Real Housewives of Miami” and received a Diners’ Choice designation from OpenTable. As many South Beach “clubstaurants” focus on keeping up with trends, Casa Matilda is working to define itself by its fresh cuisine and detail-oriented service.
Read more at the Tampa Bay Times