Today we’d like to introduce you to Mayra Heredia
Hi Mayra, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve lived in Miami a little over 20 years now after I left my small town in Massachusetts for a new life!
I met the love of my life a short while later and just celebrated our 17th year wedding anniversary this year.
My husband I have always explored different parts of the Magic City and the world together and written our own reviews for restaurants, tours, hotels and more over a span of about 10+ years.
In 2018, I was exploring a newly opened burger spot in Coral Gables, I had the owner ask me what my Instagram handle was thinking I was a local blogger. That’s when it hit me that I had been doing this sort of food blogging and reviews in a way that wasn’t public for so many years, and I had been following many of them! I was also the go-to person for our friends and family to contact who they needed advice on where to go dine out on a Saturday night for special occasions. So why not venture into something new and I opened up my page, iEatz305, that same year!
It immediately opened up new doors in the sense that I began visiting restaurants and meeting owners and learning about their stories and wins and losses of what the food industry was. I wanted to focus on the local community and tell their story through my page and focus on the whole picture instead of just focusing on me visiting and eating. I was inspired a lot by Anthony Bourdain and would even use his guide and episodes as a reference when traveling and finding places to eat and blog about. And with the inspiration he gave me, I wanted to blend our passion for the diversity of food and the stories behind it along with the traveling aspect and the joy of traveling the world, something that both my husband and I have always been passionate about!
Over the last 6 years, we’ve been able to travel out of the country many times and post not only about the food, but the adventures we take and the stories behind the places we visit to try to give others some tips and tricks for their own travel itineraries! We always try to focus on the local community in any country or city we are visiting, because the local community are the ones that carry the heart of these places.
Our biggest bucket list travel to date was just this year, when we went to Dubai, UAE, and did so without breaking the bank! I have been putting together a guide for our YouTube page about our experience to show the money saving tips and just how much you can get out of a destination like this that many people think is unattainable! And of course, the food! And how diverse it was out there and why!!!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Overall, I have had such an incredible journey and it has taken years to get past the 10k marker with followers organically. But it has never been about followers. I love getting messages from fans that they enjoyed a restaurant they found because of me or that thanking me for telling them something they didn’t know and more. That gives me overall joy. Along with maintaining a relationship with many of the businesses that I have visited and following their journey and congratulating them on every win, while also supporting them through any losses as so many suffered through the pandemic and are still recovering today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My day job is a Certified Veterinary Technician. My iEatz305 page is a hobby and a way to disconnect from the daily routines and has also helped me get out of my introverted shell!
It has always been us and our dogs, that we sadly lost in 2021 and 2022 due to old age. Being a veterinary professional, animals are my life in more ways than one, so it was extremely painful to go through these losses, and we went through the stages of grief together. And after 2 long years, we adopted Milo, a playful and loving 3 year old Yorkshire terrier that has acted like he’s been with us his whole life! It has brought back a joy in our lives that has been missing and mended our hearts through the pain of our prior losses.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Living in Miami, we have such a big melting pot as it is, and there is so much to do here and eat from so many different cultures and experience history that I’m still learning about every day! Miami has never been hyperfocused on their history as much as other places. Part of my goals are to show that history to others, the things that maybe just aren’t spoken about as much! The oldest buildings, the Tequsta tribal history, the longest running establishments, etc before we lose it all to a booming growth.
One thing I got really into in 2023 was Jai-Alai! We started going to almost all the games, getting to know the players and staff, and learned the old history of Jai Alai from Spain and how it was a huge part of Miami’s history. Battle Court Jai-Alai is a seasonal sport that currently plays in Magic City Casino, and I’d love to get more people to come learn about it and enjoy the game!! I already have some coworkers hooked!!!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ieatz305/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ieatz3059
Image Credits
Alejandro Heredia Photography (also my husband!)
