A Florida entrepreneur who began her life in Haiti and grew up in France now welcomes famous people to her steakhouse in Miami Beach. At Casa Matilda Steakhouse, Kathia Joseph satisfies celebrity cravings for fine dining in sophisticated surroundings.
“We create an immersive experience that goes from the ambiance to the food,” says Joseph, co-owner of Casa Matilda Steakhouse & Lounge. “We create a great atmosphere to make people stay there. We offer them hospitality and a way to feel at home. They don’t want to leave.”
Joseph left her home in France 11 years ago to expand an already demanding film industry career into English screenwriting. Once in Miami, she dove into the hospitality business with no previous experience, investing nearly $500,000 in a new restaurant venture. Where did she get the courage to take that risk?
“I think I got the courage from my mom and also from nature because I am someone who wants to excel. I always want to win. Everything I do, I do with love and passion. I think that is the main key,” says the Miami Beach entrepreneur.
A Miami Steakhouse Built on Pandemic Profits
The Miami businesswoman pursued a childhood dream after starting her new life in the United States in 2014. “Since I was a kid, it was always in my mind that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I wasn’t prepared by anyone, not my family or friends. It was really my goal and dream,” Joseph acknowledges.
The 40-year-old restaurateur began researching the idea of joining the hospitality industry. She made a substantial financial investment in her plan, using approximately $400,000 in career earnings and family contributions to launch her first restaurant.
A close female friend loaned Joseph another $100,000 to cover unexpected costs. She opened Blue Paris Bistro in November 2019, and three months later, the COVID pandemic broke out.
“Sometimes, I was crying in the nighttime, and I’d say, ‘Oh my God. What am I going to do?’” recalls Joseph. “Where I was is a tourist zone. There were no tourists anymore. I never want to give up on anything. I don’t like failure. If I closed it, I failed.”
So, instead of closing the bistro on the once-bustling Collins Avenue, Joseph changed the restaurant concept to a hookah lounge. Giving locals a place to try the ancient Indian method of smoking tobacco in a soothing environment proved to be a winner. “When we changed to a hookah lounge, we brought the vibe with a DJ every day. Everybody was coming to enjoy it because of the vibe. There was a line outside.”
The hookah lounge made money even with COVID distancing and mask mandates. Joseph used profits from Blue Paris Bistro to launch a new project. When the Haiti native and a business partner agreed to open a restaurant together, they took a chance on a place one of her business associates already had under construction.
“I brought my business partner to Casa Matilda to see it. When he came inside, he said, ‘Oh my God. This is a beautiful venue. I see myself here.’ I said we can make it happen because it belongs to my friend,” adds the Miami Beach restaurateur.
The partners purchased Casa Matilda and began planning a place for dining in Miami Beach inspired by the modern Mexican cuisine of Tulum. Co-owner Joseph states the reasons why she and her partner brightened up the new restaurant’s décor and developed a fine-dining steakhouse concept for Casa Matilda.
By Phyllis Armstrong
