Entrepreneurs continue to invest in new dining, retail and wellness businesses in Miami Lakes. Here’s a roundup of what recently opened, and who will be serving customers in the next few months.
Dining
Bon Vivant Charcuterie & Gourmet Market, 6707 Main St.
Restaurant veteran Lilly Tudela owns a Giardino’s Salads franchise at the Park Centre Shops. With business partner Jennifer Lajud, she is opening Bon Vivant Charcuterie & Gourmet Market in May to sell gourmet charcuterie boxes filled with curated cheeses, cured meats and snacks.
“We want to be a source for gifts for Mother’s Day, Christmas parties, baby showers and graduations,” Lilly Tudela said about their product. “We’re going to sell things you can’t get at the local grocery store.”
They will also offer hostess gifts, paper goods, cutting board sets and jams, cheeses, salsas and honeys produced in South Florida.
Charcuterie boxes can be taken home, brought to a party, or designed for a date night with a miniature bottle of prosecco and desserts. They’ll also sell “char-cuties,” smaller boxes for takeout lunches or party favors.
Tudela, who lives near town, and Lajud, who is from Kendall, hope to be able to sell beer and wine to those who want to idle at bistro tables, enjoy light bites and watch the world go by.
Kussifay Miami Lakes, 16391 NW 67th Ave. in the Windmill Gate Shopping Center.
Owner Marina Ordonez plans to open later this year to serve Argentine pizza and parrillas (grilled meats), a menu similar to her Hollywood location.
1910 Restaurant & Bar, 6743 Main St.
Owners Ignacio “Nacho” De La Cruz of Miami Lakes and Pedro Alvarez opened in February. They offer fresh seafood, organic meats grilled over charcoal and homemade pastas. It joins fine dining destinations in the neighborhood like Korner67, Amazonia Nikkei and La Strega Cucina Italiana & Steakhouse.
Retail
B-Diva Style, 6805 Main St.
“My client is usually an older woman,” Emily Carrizo said in Spanish. “I cater to plus sizes and have clothes that are loose fitting.”
She has another store in the Westchester section of Miami.
Like most of these new businesses, she grows her following on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
“My customer is a tourist who is staying at the [Miami Lakes Hotel on Main] who doesn’t speak a lot of Spanish, but I like that,” Carrizo said. “My goal is to get the client who doesn’t follow me on social media.”
Carrizo said she likes the Main Street storefront and before opening, scouted neighboring boutiques to make sure she didn’t offer the same merchandise.
“I have a lot of customers in Hialeah,” Carrizo said. “It’s easier for them to come up to Miami Lakes rather than go to Miami.”
She said she may take a booth at the Farmer’s Market to direct more customers to her store.
The Light Studio, 8205 Commerce Way.
Owner Rosa Jeong is opening her photography space in May to make portraits of executives, children and families; teach photography workshops and guide imaging and branding for small business owners.
Life Styled by Kathy, 15450 New Barn Road, Suite 200.
Kathy Smith Means is an an independent stylist with the Etcetera line for women, JHilburn Made-to-Measure custom clothing for men and Somnvie Luxury Bedding. She has a suite in the Venture X co-working spaces in the Arbor Place building.
“I work one-on-one with clients, most often meeting at their home or office,” Kathy Smith Means said. She will also meet clients at her Venture X studio.
“That beautiful space offers me a place to keep sample fabric swatches and create style options for my clients,” she said.
She’s on Instagram, at LifestyledbyKathy.
To address the growing business model of online sales showrooms, the town council is considering an ordinance to change zoning for companies that operate primarily on the Internet but want to have a place to display their products and greet or sell to customers.
The Trelles Cottage
Owner Kimberly Trelles is awaiting the transition from her Internet store to a retail space and could benefit from the zoning change being considered by the town.
She sells Miami Lakes-themed baseball caps, black and white cow earrings and T-shirts. She also has a “Tengo Chisme” (I have gossip!) clothing line, hostess gifts and accessories from local businesses too.
A portion of sales go to autism-related causes, she said.
“For me it was important to keep it all here,” said Trelles, a lifelong Miami Laker.
“The Tengo Chisme line sells wherever Latinos live,” she said. “But I have a lot of Miami Lakes customers for the Miami Lakes-inspired collection.”
The Trelles Cottage is on Instagram.
Wellness & Beauty
Miami Lakes is a beauty and wellness destination. At least two aesthetics clinics have opened since January and join a roster of busy medical spas in town:
Bossy Wellness and Aesthetics at 6811 Main St. and Hydra Prime Aesthetics and Wellness at 8140 NW 155th St.
Victory Estilo Salon 6841 Main St.
Since October, Lidaly Avila owns the full-service beauty salon at this location and remodeled it. She specializes in hair extensions and balayage. She outgrew a suite in a building behind Publix and is now in the center of town.
The Suite Garden, 8225 Commerce Way.
Coming soon from the owner of The Nail Garden salons, it will provide spaces for independent beauty and personal care professionals in a large storefront.
New Health Care Offices
Optimize Health Chiropractor Dr. Denis Chang, 15450 New Barn Road;
Olive Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Maidelys Oliva, DMD, 7920 NW 154 St. and soon,
Catherine A. Lopez, DMD, P.A., 8225 Commerce Way.
New Fitness Studios
In June, two separate, family-owned Pilates studios will welcome clients.
Forme Pilates, 6608 Main St.
Co-owners Isabel Maria Fernandez and her daughter Ana Isabel Hevia will have Reformer machines.
Soulates Studio, 8205 Commerce Way.
Co-owners Nora Tarquino, husband Humberto Fernandez-Moran and daughter Melissa Martinez will have Reformer machines, mat Pilates and yoga, too. The family, longtime residents in Palm Springs North, want to have a place for movement that is close to home, Nora Tarquino said.
DUO, 6750 Main St.
A new company by the founder of Sweat440 is scheduled to open in October. Sweat440 Miami Lakes’ Operations Manager David Robertson says DUO will be a fitness recovery spa, offering red light therapy; compression sleeves/boots; cold water immersion tubs and infrared saunas. Incorporating these practices in one’s workout routine emulates the Finnish lifestyle, Robertson said.
--Reporter Alexandra Herrera contributed to this report.