{"id":32395,"date":"2019-05-06T12:21:26","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T16:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/?p=32395"},"modified":"2019-05-17T15:28:34","modified_gmt":"2019-05-17T19:28:34","slug":"florida-sbdc-at-fiu-client-receives-national-recognition-for-her-recovery-from-hurricane-irma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/2019\/05\/florida-sbdc-at-fiu-client-receives-national-recognition-for-her-recovery-from-hurricane-irma\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida SBDC at FIU client receives national recognition for her recovery from Hurricane Irma."},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Florida
Left to right: Gabri Vitori and Stephanie Vitori (partners, Cheeseburger Baby) , Brian Van Hook (SBDC at FIU), Kathy Cook (SBA) and Roberto Castellon (SBDC at FIU).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As one of the oldest burger joints on Miami Beach, Cheeseburger Baby has a fitting motto: \u201cKeeping it Classic.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s an ideal that the company struggled to keep after Hurricane Irma struck in 2017, nearly wiping out the restaurant business.<\/p>\n

Not only did Cheeseburger Baby endure the storm, it now is a model for other small businesses hit with disasters. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently recognized the company with the 2019 Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery.\u00a0 The award was given for the company\u2019s successful hurricane recovery efforts and was presented in Washington, D.C. as part of SBA\u2019s 2019 National Small Business Week ceremony.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeeping It Classic\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Cheeseburger<\/p>\n

Known to many locals as \u201cCBB,\u201d the restaurant is a favorite of celebrities, such as Beyonc\u00e9 and Dwayne Wade.\u00a0 Cheeseburger Baby is also mobile with a food truck that is a constant presence at local festivals and catering events around South Florida.<\/p>\n

Cheeseburger Baby owner Stephanie Vitori originally started with the business as a delivery driver and worked her way up, learning about all aspects of the business along the way.\u00a0 In February 2004, she took over ownership of the business.\u00a0 Since then, the business has increased from six employees to almost 20.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe success of Cheeseburger Baby comes from the fact that I am passionate about the business and my community,\u201d said Vitori. \u201cOur loyal customer base grew up literally by door-to-door marketing and by word of mouth.\u00a0 With that in mind, we treat them and our employees like family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the restaurant\u2019s success, Hurricane Irma was by far the biggest challenge the business faced in the last 19 years.<\/p>\n

Hurricane impact and recovery. <\/em><\/p>\n

Hurricane Irma\u2019s fury overwhelmed Stephanie\u2019s diligent preparations to protect her business, damaging essential equipment and knocking out power.\u00a0 Water backed up into her restaurant, damaging food and equipment.\u00a0 There was also major damage to the air conditioning unit, freezer, and hood ventilation system.\u00a0 Power was out for the restaurant for two weeks but Stephanie was quick to plug into her food truck to re-open on a limited scale as soon as Miami Beach\u2019s curfew lifted.\u00a0 Despite her efforts to serve the community as they recovered, customer traffic was slow heading into 2018.<\/p>\n

To assist with her recovery, Stephanie was referred by the SBA to Florida SBDC at FIU<\/a> in November 2017.\u00a0 Florida SBDC at FIU, the small business development center at Florida International University\u2019s College of Business, provides no-cost consulting to entrepreneurs and small-business owners.<\/p>\n

Cheeseburger Baby was one of 187 businesses that the center worked with following Hurricane Irma<\/a>.\u00a0 FSBDC at FIU was able to help Stephanie secure additional funding to help her make repairs, return to pre-storm staffing levels, and ramp back up her catering operations.<\/p>\n

\"Stephanie
Stephanie Vitori<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt has been extremely worthwhile for our center to work with Cheeseburger Baby and other businesses in her community as they are beacons for both tourists and locals alike,\u201d said Brian Van Hook, associate director of FSBDC at FIU.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cHaving Cheeseburger Baby re-opened and continuing its pre-storm growth is a great bellwether on the progress of our recovery from the storm.\u201d<\/p>\n

GrubHub featured Stephanie and Cheeseburger Baby last year in a national campaign focused on promoting successful female chefs. She was one of only two Miami-based businesses to be featured in the campaign.\u00a0 The national recognition from GrubHub and SBA has only re-affirmed Stephanie\u2019s passion for the business and her community in South Beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have survived hurricanes, recessions, big corporate burger franchises moving in across the street, and so much more,\u201d Stephanie shared. \u201cBut when you do what you love, you don\u2019t let anything get in the way of your success.\u00a0 Being able to open back up and serve burgers until sunrise again was the gift of a lifetime. That is why the SBA Phoenix Award means so much to us!\u201d<\/p>\n