MIAMI
Inside Love Life Cafe: Veronica Menin’s Plant-Based Miami Empire, One Burger at a Time
Written by Eric Barton | July 15, 2025
AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and a freelance journalist who has reviewed restaurants for more than two decades. Email him here.
Miami doesn’t lack for health-forward fast-casual spots with turmeric shots and grain bowls that taste like penance. But Love Life Cafe is different. It’s the rare place where I’d actually take a meat-eater to prove vegan food can have texture, flavor, even joy.
I’d start them on the award-winning burger—a hulking, umami-rich thing that would never be mistaken for beef but also never tries to apologize for what it is.
That’s what I’ve always liked about Love Life, and why I wanted to talk to owner Veronica Menin, who recently moved the restaurant back to its original Wynwood home. We talked about her Brazilian roots, what it takes to build a mission-driven brand in Miami, and how a run through Key Biscayne can still count as work when you’re in the wellness business.
Veronica Menin
Was there someone in your life growing up who first got you interested in food or restaurants?
I was born and raised on an organic farm where we harvested our food daily. There were always real foods on our plates. My grandmother always cooked amazingly healthy, incredible meals, and I’ve always seen food as nourishment.
You studied journalism and psychology before getting into the restaurant industry. What led you from that path to launching a plant-based café?
I went to the University of Miami because I was following the path my parents—and society—wanted me to follow. But health and wellness were always my passion. After college, I was miserable in the corporate world. I enrolled in the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and it completely changed my perspective. Before Love Life, I started a vegan/gluten-free bakery and a plant-based supper club called Conscious Bite Out.
Dalicious Bowl
What do you remember most about those early days in the original Wynwood space?
Huge lines, happy customers, and amazing energy in the kitchen! Wynwood has changed a lot since COVID, but I see it rebuilding in a special way.
The veggie burger
Veggie tacos
Why did you decide to move back to the original location—and what felt important to carry forward?
We had left for a bigger space, but it just wasn’t working. It was too big, too hidden. When our old spot suddenly became available, it felt like synchronicity. We followed our gut and came back to the energy that made us.
Menin with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez
You’ve launched multiple wellness ventures in Miami. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about running a mission-driven business?
If you do something with your whole heart and stay committed to your mission, success will follow. Nothing happens overnight—it takes time, discipline, and perseverance—but if you stay real, you’ll get there.
You’ve brought some Brazilian influences into the space—how does your heritage show up in your work?
The flavors in our food and our loving culture. We care deeply about people and love to connect—with customers, with our team. It really feels like family.
Veggie reuben
What’s a perfect day off look like for you in Miami—any favorite spots to eat or unwind?
Miami is amazing for wellness. A run in Key Biscayne, a jump in the ocean in South of Fifth, an açaí bowl at Under the Mango Tree, a massage at The Standard, and some natural wine with sourdough pizza at Love Life Cafe to finish. That’s the dream.
