Resilience, teamwork, community are helping retailer recover after holiday fire

When fires devastated multiple communities in Southern California, determined firefighters, numerous volunteers and rescue groups stepped up to help in uncountable ways.

In December, here in Miami, there was another fire that also brought out the best in community support.

It happened during Meat N’ Bone’s busiest season. The Dec. 19 fire at the 5,000-square foot-Coral Way Boutique caused extensive smoke damage and significant financial losses. The site serves as the primary shipping hub for the retailer of premium quality meats.

Gabriel LLaurado, CMO and co-founder, said that while the team acted swiftly to evacuate safely and the Miami Fire Department contained the flames, the damage to operations was immense.

“Meat N’ Bone started about six years ago with less than $15,000, and seeing how far we’ve come has been incredible. But when I got the call about the fire, I ran straight here,” LLaurado said.

“Standing there, watching it burn while waiting for the firefighters to arrive, I felt completely helpless. The only comfort I had in that moment was knowing that all of our staff was safe. You can always rebuild — that’s what I kept telling myself.”

LLaurado said despite the setback, Meat N’ Bone’s employees rallied together, relocated inventory and set up a temporary storefront. They are grateful for the generosity of neighbor Cana Wine Shop, who offered their space.

The company also moved shipping and customer service operations to other boutiques, ensuring orders were fulfilled in time for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, even upgrading shipping at no extra cost to customers.

More than 1,500 holiday orders were fulfilled, showcasing the power of resilience, teamwork and community support, LLaurado said.

“Our team worked 16-hour shifts for an entire week, turning our new steakhouse, The Wagyu House, into a makeshift shipping facility,” said Luis Mata, CEO and co-founder. “All we could think about was getting orders out in time — we didn’t want to ruin anyone’s Christmas.

“We managed to fulfill most of them, but we still lost about 20% of our sales for the month. Meanwhile, our boutiques were handling local deliveries and we were all manning the phones, doing our best to keep customers happy. Of course, there’s always that one person leaving a 1-star review because their order was 30 minutes late.”

Mata said Meat N’ Bone continues to work tirelessly to rebuild while staying committed to its employees and customers. The team is asking customers to continue supporting them as they overcome the challenges of the fire.

“Looking back, it’s truly remarkable,” Mata said. “After the fire on December 19th, our employees rallied behind the brand, and by Dec. 21st, we had a fully operational boutique just 100 feet away. As a startup, losing even a single week could have had serious consequences, but our team came together to make it happen.” Visit gofund.me/66e9a181 to help.

WRITERS CONFERENCE IS FEB. 22

The South Florida Writers Association is proud to host its 2025 Mango Writers Conference with the theme “Writing From The Ground To The Moon.”

Featured speakers will present topics ranging from the triumph and challenges of a paraplegic athlete turned Paralympian competitor in Anita Mitchell’s “God Took My Arms But Gave Me This Gift” to the cosmic accomplishment of some of SFWA’s own writers in the anthology “Sea of Tranquility,” presented by Mort Laitner.

The anthology will join 250,000 cultural artifacts from around the world in a digitized payload delivered to the moon.

“The Mango Conference goal is to throw mangoes and rockets at writers. The mangoes to invigorate their writing, the rockets to dare they dream. Visitors will meet both creative and non-fiction writers, with decades of experience. Worthwhile for any who even so much as glanced at a pen!” said SFWA President Giancarlo Diago Cevallos.

Additional speakers are Dar Airan, who will talk about “Legal Pitfalls in Negotiating a Publishing Contract”; David Rolland highlighting the topic “The Life of a Writer,” and Holly Iglesias, who will present “Poetry, All The World’s A Fair.”

A panel discussing “Sea of Tranquility” includes writers and poets Mort Laitner, Howard Camner, Monica DeZulueta and Neil Crabtree.

SFWA is dedicated to literary arts and support of writing and writers in our community. The conference is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Feb. 22 at the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant, 1395 NW 57th Ave. Tickets are $75, $65 for members and $50 for students, and include a light breakfast and catered lunch. Sign up by Feb. 14 at www.southfloridawriters.org/ or email Ricki Dorn at raindance3930@gmail.com

BIRD DAY AT TROPICAL AUDUBON

Calling all kids, parents, students and naturalists to flock to the 2025 Bird Day, noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 15 at Tropical Audubon Society’s wooded Steinberg Nature Center in the heart of South Miami, 5530 Sunset Dr.

The 11th annual event is a free, educational nature festival designed for families with young children, students of every age, scouts and birders.

“Meet” rehabilitated wildlife rescued by the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station and Wildlife Rescue of Dade County. You can also visit activity stations and take part in owl pellet dissection, craft Piping Plover “chicks,” hone binocular skills, try nature journaling and sing eco-themed songs with folk artist Grant Livingston.

And you can explore trails that thread tropical hardwood hammock and pine rockland demonstration forests. The Nacho Bizness food tent will be selling home-style tacos, quesadillas and burritos.

At 1:30 p.m., TAS board member and field trip coordinator Brian Rapoza will host a Great Backyard Bird Count Workshop and Bird Walk. Birdwatchers of every level can learn and contribute to the national tally.

At 3 p.m., TAS historian Dan Jones will lead a tour of the historic Doc Thomas House, where you can learn about the 1932 home of area pioneer Arden Hayes “Doc” Thomas and architect Robert Fitch Smith.

There is limited free parking via the 55th Avenue auto entry gate. Or, you can get a parking pass there to park free at Riviera Presbyterian Church.

Bird Day, chaired by TAS Education & Advocacy Director Stephanie Clements, celebrates the annual northbound flight of nearly 350 species of migratory birds that stop in South Florida on their return to North America from the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Mexico. More at tropicalaudubon.org/

Write to ChristinaMMayo@gmail.com with news for this column.

This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 5:17 PM.