Finding a satisfying, healthy protein bar proved frustrating for Erica Groussman. If they tasted good, she usually felt "bloated and gross" afterward. Other bars offered cleaner ingredients but had a taste and texture like cardboard. The Miami Beach mother of two felt she could do better.
It seems she did. Her company, Trubar, offers plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and sugar alcohol-free snack bars that come in at 190 calories with 12 grams of protein. With flavors like "Get In My Belly, PB & Jelly" and "It's Mint to be Chip," Trubar is available in more than 20,000 stores including Costco, Walmart, Target and on Amazon.
Family-owned, Turkish-based snack company ETi Gida completed a $173-million cash buyout of Trubar in February. Groussman, 43, with a 14-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, is staying on as Trubar CEO. She has more product lines she'd like to develop and considers the business "my third child."
Like parenting, the path hasn't always been easy or smooth, but that, Groussman says, has made her a better leader.
"I have so much fun putting out fires. I feel like that's my strongest strength. They're going to happen no matter what," she says, "and if you can stay calm and plow through them and put them out with grace, nothing can tear you down."
NIGHTLIFE
Miami Beach commissioners agreed to temporarily streamline approvals needed to open restaurants and live entertainment venues to help fill empty properties and boost businesses in five areas including Lincoln Road, Collins Avenue and Alton Road. Under the changes pushed by Commissioner Alex J. Fernandez, indoor entertainment sites that can hold up to 750 people can operate without the usual conditional use permit. Previously, occupancy thresholds were capped at 200 people.
Madrid's acclaimed Quintin Ultramarinos restaurant will open in Coral Gables in 2028 when the luxury Ponce Park condominium is due to be completed. Quintin offers all-day Mediterranean fare and promises a dining experience that echoes its Madrid base mixed with a taste of Miami's tropical flair. Ponce Park will offer 58 condominium units starting at $3.1 million in an 11-story tower.
CRIME
Former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime faces potential denaturalization after federal officials say he first came into the United States under a false name, lied about leaving for his native Haiti while facing a removal order 25 years ago, then entered into a sham marriage while already married to a Haitian woman and became a citizen. Officials discovered his dual identities by comparing fingerprints during a national project. Bien-Aime served on North Miami's city council for six years and as mayor for three.
LAYOFFS
The Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour, is closed for at least seven months for renovations, laying off 108 employees. They will be recalled when the hotel reopens.
HEALTH CARE
Baptist Health's 4,300-sq.-ft. Key West cancer center has formally opened, bringing chemotherapy infusion, advanced radiation therapy and onsite medical and radiation oncology to the community for the first time since August 2023. Baptist Health renovated the former Genesis Cancer Center site.
REAL ESTATE
The parade of billionaires opting for life in low-tax Miami rather than face a proposed wealth tax in California continues. Facebook/Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg reportedly spent more than $150 million for a mansion on Indian Creek, the Biscayne Bay enclave known as "Billionaire Bunker." Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin also recently made home purchases in the area.
A proposed 62-story condominium offering 145 units stands to become Sunny Isles' tallest building after city officials approved site plans for the Miami Beach Club. The Collins Avenue project, a partnership of BH Group, Related Group and Dezer Development, isn't expected to start construction until 2028.
EDUCATION
Florida International University is launching a multidisciplinary initiative to plan a transition to democracy if Cuba's ruling communist regime should fall.
TRAVEL
Monroe County is poised to take another stab at bringing commercial airliners to the Florida Keys Marathon International Airport after commissioners agreed to spend $188,000 for terminal renovation and expansion designs, a project that could cost $11 million. If they proceed with the plan, officials say most of the money needed could come from the FAA and other government sources. The airport has been without commercial service since 2009.
HMSHost will provide concessions at Miami International Airport for the next dozen years after agreeing to a contract extension. Parent company Avolta will update airport stores and dining options as part of the deal.
ZOOS
Stantec is providing architectural, design and engineering work for Zoo Miami's new Blue Zone hospital. Nearly five times bigger than the existing 5,600-sq.-ft. hospital, the facility will have a laboratory and pharmacy, radiology and CT imaging suites, surgery rooms and secure transportation docks when completed next year. Some treatment rooms will have windows for guests to look inside.
A View of the Water
Brickell Avenue has its first new waterfront condominium in more than a decade with the completion of Una Residences. The 47-story project by OKO Group and Cain includes 129 waterfront units starting at $6.2 million and is more than 90% sold. Two penthouses sold for $17.75 million.
90 Stories on Biscayne
A 90-story condominium is coming to Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami in a joint project by hospitality company Ennismore and PMG developers. The Delano will feature 421 units starting at $800,000. Residents can enjoy not an observation deck, but an observation floor and bar 850 feet above the ground. The Delano is named for an iconic Miami Beach art deco hotel that recently reopened after closing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Delano also has hotels in Paris and Dubai.