Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Benn.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m a journalist and communications professional with deep roots in Miami, even though I’m now based outside Philadelphia. I had my first front-page byline when I was 14, and I knew then that I wanted to be a journalist. I interned at the Miami Herald when I was in journalism school at Northwestern University, and I moved to South Florida in 2004 when I graduated. I started my career as a general-assignment reporter in the Herald’s Broward County bureau, where I covered everything from hurricanes and elections to O.J. Simpson and the Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich. I eventually became the Herald’s food editor and restaurant critic, where I created the South Florida Food 50, an annual publication and live event celebrating the people behind the local culinary community, and then Editor in Chief of INDULGE, the Herald’s luxury lifestyle magazine.
My career has also taken me to St. Louis, where I covered food and beer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and authored the 2011 book “Brew in the Lou,” about the city’s craft beer scene. I’m now Senior Director of Special Projects and Communications at The Philadelphia Inquirer, and I continue to write freelance stories about food and travel for a variety of publications. I also contributed a chapter about food to the 2023 book “This Is Your Song Too,” about rock jam band Phish.
Food was always a throughline for me in Miami, because there’s an undeniable link between the city’s chefs and restaurants and its culture. Today, even from Philly, I stay closely connected to Miami’s dining scene through my work with Resy, Flamingo magazine, and other outlets, covering chefs, restaurants, and the evolution of the city’s food culture.
Along the way, my career has expanded beyond journalism into executive communications and media strategy. I now lead communications initiatives, advise leadership, and help shape how organizations tell their stories — but it all comes back to the same foundation: clear, honest, engaging storytelling.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like a lot of people in journalism, I’ve navigated an industry that’s been in constant flux. Newsrooms have shrunk, roles have shifted, and the path forward hasn’t always been linear. It’s made me evolve my focus and skills while staying true to the mission of accurate, fair storytelling.
There’s also a real challenge in balancing depth with adaptability. Expanding into broader leadership and communications roles meant learning how to operate at a different level: advising executives, thinking about audience and business strategy, and helping others craft their stories and messages.
At the same time, I’ve worked to maintain my identity as a writer. Continuing to report and write — especially about food — keeps me grounded and connected to work I love, and to Miami.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I split my time between journalism and communications leadership, which gives me a somewhat unique vantage point.
On the journalism side, I continue to write — often about food, restaurants, and the people behind them. My work has focused heavily on chefs and dining culture in Miami, as well as stories that explore how food intersects with community, identity, and place.
On the communications side, I lead strategic initiatives, develop executive messaging, and help people and organizations articulate who they are and why they matter. That can range from shaping major announcements and partnerships to preparing leaders for high-profile interviews or building long-term, sustainable thought leadership.
Across both areas, the share goal is storytelling with purpose. Whether it’s a reported feature, a press strategy, or an executive narrative, my aim is always to make something clear, compelling, and worth people’s time.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m currently reading “Butter” by Asako Yuzuki, which I picked up at Books & Books in Bal Harbour on my most recent visit to Miami. It’s a perfect Venn diagram for me of food writing, journalism, and crime thriller.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evanbenn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evanbennpage/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanbenn/
