Formula 1 is making its way to Miami Gardens, and Lorna’s Caribbean and American Grill is prepared with its best soup recipe. Owner Matari Bodei mentioned that they only serve their famous conch soup on Saturdays, which has become quite popular in the area. Despite the expected crowd of 600,000 people, customers are willing to navigate the traffic for a taste of the soup.
On a busy Saturday, Bodei received about 50 orders for the conch soup, which significantly boosts their business by about 20%. However, neighboring businesses like Classy Girl Beauty Supply, owned by Hassan Sam, tend to lose thousands of dollars in sales during Formula 1 events due to the traffic deterring their regular customers. Despite this challenge, loyal customers like Junior Correa still make the effort to grab a soup to go and enjoy the race at home.
The proximity to the race event benefits businesses like Lorna’s, as they attract customers before, during, and after the event. Bodei sees any stadium event as an opportunity to boost sales and bring in new customers. The CBS Miami team, a group of experienced journalists, covers stories like this one on CBSMiami.com.