Conversations with Sandy Sanchez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandy Sanchez. Them and their team share their story with us below:

La Fresa Francesa is a true storybook project of passion. Co-owners Sandy & Benoit met and fell in love In Los Angeles, CA.

In the saddest of circumstances, they Moved to Miami when Sandy’s brother passed away.

They quickly found a spot in Hialeah Sandy’s hometown. It was affordable and risky but they converted an old Cuban cafeteria into a little French Bistro reminiscent of those found on the streets of Montmartre. The first of its kind in a city known exclusively for its old school Cuban… everything.

Thanks to word of mouth, amazing press, and die hard regulars, La Fresa Francesa is thriving in its close to seven years anniversary.

“Fans of La Fresa” rave about the quaint ambiance and Southern French-Country Cuisine. Accolades include being named Top 10 French Restaurants in Miami by the Miami New Times, Miami Heralds “South Florida 50” in the category of “Power Couple”, and “Top 50 Places to Eat in in Miami” by Yelp and so many more.

Sandy and Chef Benoit’s passion and love for their little place stay true to this day in every detail of the restaurant and in every plate served.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
All in all, La fresa Francesa’s embrace by the community was so strong and fierce that it has been thriving, growing and evolving since Day 1. Certainly, there have been struggles of all sorts. In the beginning, fighting against the narrative that the restaurant could not exist in Hialeah without serving rice and beans was definitely a challenge. We had to really commit to the adage if you build it, they will come!

We are always aware of the judgment and expectations some of our guests have when visiting for the first time. A French bistro in Hialeah is certainly an eyebrow raiser. If they are coming to Hialeah for French food, they expect to be wowed.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At La Fresa Francesa Bistro, we specialize in classic, comfort French cuisine. It’s the type of food your French grand mere would make you as a kid if you lived in the South of France. We focus on high-quality ingredients and integrity in our food. We do incorporate some regional flavors like guava and Pastelitos to create a parallel between the French and Cuban cultures.

We are proud to bring something new and different to the city of Hialeah. We really want to make great food accessible to everyone.

As the daughter of immigrants growing up, I only was exposed to Cuban food living in Hialeah. Certainly, times have changed since I was a child and the landscape of food all across Miami-Dadeland is broad and bountiful, but we wanted to make sure that Hialeah was represented in the culinary community that included a dining experience other than Cuban.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
We consider ourselves storytellers through food and place. La Fresa Francesa is our Franco-Hialeah story, But we do have another restaurant, Silverlake Bistro in Miami Beach… That story told through food and place is our California culinary journey story, where we take our guests to the time and place of where Ben and Sandy lived and learned about food and wine and how they ate in that moment in their lives.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: Lafresafrancesabistro.com
• Instagram: Lafresafrancesa
• Facebook: lafresafrancesa
• Twitter: Lafresafrancesa