Today we’d like to introduce you to Terry, Maureen, Vita, Kavita, Tarek and Ambika Persad.
Terry, Maureen, Vita, Kavita, Tarek and Ambika, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It all began in 1990 when my mother started making our signature dish Roti out of our kitchen home. There were many people who requested her to cater in the early days. Then my father Terry Persad, combined his cooking the meats and they collaborated ever since. Fast forwarding to 2015, we visited Miami beach and realized there was not one Trinidadian restaurant. We thought how could that be in an island setting like the world famous South Beach. I, Vita began making the contacts to find the opportunity and present it to my parents. I recognized my parents were entrepreneurs all along and it was my mother’s dream to open her own restaurant one day. My father & mother are hardworking and teaches us the business as we will carry it on right here in South Beach! Our customers thank us everyday for opening a ONE OF A KIND Trinidadian Caribbean Restaurant in this specific area. We bring authentic flavorful fresh food daily 7 days a week and there is not much of that offered here on the beach! We are honored to service our tourists and locals!
Has it been a smooth road?
We are blessed and we thank God everyday for the opportunity. From the moment we opened our business has been based on the core of word of mouth referrals!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Choka’s Caribbean Restaurant & Lounge story. Tell us more about the business.
Choka’s specializes in Roti also known as a flat-bread or sometimes referred to as a wrap. It’s freshly made on a hot stone filled with split peas. It’s the base of the meal.
Then you can choose your type of meat to fill it. Which is Curry Chicken, Curry Beef, Curry Goat or Curry Shrimp! Also, curried potatoes and chickpeas are added to complete the dish! It’s carefully wrapped and ready to be served! It’s a signature dish well-known around the Caribbean islands especially our home Trinidad & Tobago.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Our projection is to create a duplicatable system so that we can open more than one in Miami or surrounding areas. As time goes on our menu will grow and so will our business. Since we are family owned and operated we currently maintain a smaller menu to keep its true authenticity!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chokascaribbean.com
- Phone: 305-432-7477
- Email: Chokasmiami@gmail.com
- Instagram: @chokascaribbeanrestaurant
- Facebook: Choka’s Caribbean Restaurant & Lounge
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