About this Event
2nd Annual South Florida Hospitality & Tourism Summit
FROM SIDE HUSTLE TO STOREFRONT. FROM EMPLOYEE TO OWNER.
Saturday, December 12, 2026 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Center for Black Innovation | 937 NW 3rd Avenue, Miami, FL 33136
FREE TO ATTEND | LIMITED SEATING
Your Next Opportunity Starts Here.
Have you ever dreamed of opening your own restaurant, launching a food truck, turning your cooking skills into a profitable business, or moving from hospitality employee to business owner?
Perhaps you already own a business but need help managing expenses, attracting customers, finding employees, or building a company that can survive and grow.
The 2nd Annual South Florida Hospitality & Tourism Summit was created for you.
Hosted by the Center for Black Innovation, in collaboration with the City of Miami and The Hungry Black Man, this free, full-day summit brings together successful chefs, restaurant owners, hospitality professionals, educators, and industry leaders for practical conversations about what it really takes to succeed.
This is not simply another networking conference. It is a day of learning, honest conversations, business development, and real-world guidance from people who understand the challenges of working and building businesses in one of America's most competitive hospitality markets.
What You'll Learn
FROM SIDE HUSTLE TO STOREFRONT
Learn how to transform your food business idea, catering operation, pop-up, or side hustle into a legitimate, sustainable business. Explore the steps involved in opening a restaurant, food truck, or other culinary enterprise.
FROM EMPLOYEE TO OWNER
Hear from hospitality entrepreneurs who built careers from the ground up. Learn how to recognize opportunities, develop business skills, and take the next steps toward ownership.
THE REAL BUSINESS OF RUNNING A RESTAURANT
Understand the financial realities of operating a food business, including food costs, labor, pricing, profitability, procurement, and managing growth.
HIRING, RETENTION, AND THE HOSPITALITY WORKFORCE
Explore the challenges of finding, training, paying, and retaining quality employees in South Florida's changing economy.
BUILDING A BRAND THAT CUSTOMERS REMEMBER
Discover how restaurant owners develop their identities, attract loyal customers, and compete in a crowded marketplace.
FROM IDEA TO OPEN
Learn about the practical considerations involved in launching a food truck, restaurant, cottage food business, or packaged food product.
Who Should Attend?
- Aspiring restaurant owners and entrepreneurs
- Existing restaurant, café, and food truck operators
- Caterers, bakers, private chefs, and pop-up vendors
- Hospitality employees interested in career advancement
- Individuals interested in transitioning from employee to business owner
- Culinary students and recent graduates
- Food manufacturers and packaged-food entrepreneurs
- Hospitality managers and supervisors
- Small business owners looking to expand
- Anyone interested in the future of South Florida's hospitality and tourism economy
Learn From People Who Have Done the Work.
The summit will feature engaging panel discussions, practical business sessions, and conversations with chefs, restaurateurs, business owners, professors, and industry experts.
Participants will have opportunities to learn from industry experience, ask questions, connect with other entrepreneurs, and explore pathways toward business ownership and professional advancement.
More Than a Conference
The hospitality industry creates opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, community investment, and economic mobility. Yet many aspiring business owners lack access to the practical knowledge, relationships, and resources needed to succeed.
This summit is designed to help close that gap by connecting ambition with information and opportunity.
Whether you are preparing to open your first business, working to improve an existing operation, or looking for your next career move, there is a place for you at this summit.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, December 12, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Center for Black Innovation, 937 NW 3rd Avenue, Miami, FL 33136
Admission: FREE — Advance registration required.
Website: sfhtsummit.com
Questions: [email protected]
Presented by the Center for Black Innovation in collaboration with the City of Miami and The Hungry Black Man.
Seats are limited. Reserve your free ticket today and take the next step toward your future in hospitality.
Event venue & nearby stays
Center For Black Innovation, 937 Northwest 3rd Avenue, Miami, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.