He lost his first restaurant. He got burned by investors. And still — he built one of Miami’s most talked-about‬

‭ food brands.‬

‭ In this exclusive interview,‬‭ Mario Naar‬‭ , founder of‬‭ Chèvre Miami‬‭ , tells the story of how he went from‬‭ nightlife‬

‭ in Panama to launching a viral cheese and sandwich empire in Miami. From $20 sandwiches and foie gras‬

‭ boards to being ranked #3 on Goldbelly and launching in Saint Barts — this is the story of grit, taste, and‬

‭ reinvention.‬

‭ In this episode, Mario shares:‬

-Why he walked away from his first international brand‬

-The sandwich that saved his business‬

-How he turned caviar into a lifestyle product‬

-The truth behind the $65 caviar croissant that went viral‬

-How Miami landlords and hospitality deals‬‭ really‬‭ work‬

-Why he believes‬‭ consistency > creativity‬‭ in food‬

-The biggest mistake that almost cost him his new business‬

-What it means to build a “lifestyle brand”

— not just a restaurant‬

‭‭

‭ ⏱ Timestamps:‬

‭ 00:00 – Starting From Zero in Miami‬

‭ 02:51 – Building Chev: Boutique Food & Vision‬

‭ 05:42 – Pandemic Timing & Cheese Curation‬

‭ 08:33 – The Koji Wagyu Sandwich That Went Viral‬

‭ 11:24 – Cheesecakes, Goldbelly, and Premium Flavors‬

‭ 14:15 – Launching a Caviar Brand From Scratch‬

‭ 17:06 – The $65 Caviar Croissant Craze‬

‭ 19:57 – Losing Salvaje & Reinventing My Brand‬

‭ 22:48 – Becoming a Lifestyle Brand, Not Just Food‬‭ 25:39 – Scaling to Saint Barts, Coconut Grove & More‬

‭ 28:30 – Why Restaurants Shouldn’t Pay for Buildouts‬

‭ 31:21 – Inside the Wine Room & Rare Cheese Pairings‬

‭ 34:12 – Catering, Foie Gras, and High-End Boards‬

‭ 37:03 – Lessons From My Most Expensive Mistake‬

‭ 39:54 – Local Partners & Artisans I Trust‬

‭ 42:45 – Miami Needs More Locals, Less Bullsh*t‬

‭ 45:36 – Oma Pie Concept & Elevating Pizza‬

‭ 48:27 – Cheese-Pull Marketing & Final Reflections‬

‭ Connect with me on my instagram:‬

‭ 🤳 Instagram:‬‭ https://www.instagram.com/emiguerra99/‬

‭ Connect with Mario Naar:‬

‭ Instagram:‬‭ https://www.instagram.com/naarmiami‬

‭ Listen to my podcasts on:‬

‭ 🍎 Apple Podcast:‬‭ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/industry-talks-hospitality-podcast/id1790526837‬

‭ 🍏 Spotify:‬‭ https://open.spotify.com/show/5Qqf1YkCmKKL0nEH9J5rAv‬

‭ Check out my hospitality businesses on Instagram:‬

‭ 🏨 Breakwater Hospitality Group:‬‭ https://www.instagram.com/breakwaterhg/‬

‭ 🏨 The Wharf Miami:‬‭ https://www.instagram.com/wharfmiami/‬

‭ 🏨 The Wharf Fort Lauderdale:‬‭ https://www.instagram.com/wharfftl/‬

‭ 🏨 PIER 5:‬‭ https://www.instagram.com/pier5bayside/‬

‭ 🏨 JohnMartin’s:‬‭ https://www.instagram.com/johnmartinsmiami/‬

‭ 🏨 Carousel Club:‬‭ https://www.instagram.com/carouselclb/‬

‭ 🏨 Regatta Grove:‬‭ https://www.instagram.com/regattagrove/‬

‭ 🏨 Riverside Wharf:‬‭ https://www.instagram.com/riversidewharf/‬

‭ Thank you for your support. If you aren’t already subscribed, do subscribe to the channel for our latest‬

‭ episodes. Cheers!‬

‭ #MarioNaar #ChèvreMiami #IndustryTalks #HospitalityPodcast #MiamiFoodScene #FoodEntrepreneur‬

‭ #ViralFood #CheeseLovers #CaviarLife #MiamiEats #LuxuryFood #GourmetSandwich #CulinaryBrand‬

‭ #FoodBusiness #MiamiRestaurants #CheesecakeLovers #LifestyleBrand #CaviarCroissant‬

‭ #WagyuSandwich #FromPanamaToMiami #ChefLife #FoodStartup #PodcastHighlights #podcast‬