'Best of Miami Lakes' finalists announced; final voting opens through Oct. 2

Organizers used the boot camp to announce finalists for the 10th annual "Best of Miami Lakes" awards across multiple categories including breakfast, coffee, lunch, dinner, retail and services. The finalists were listed in groups of four per category and attendees were asked to recruit customers to vote; final voting runs through midnight on Oct. 2.

Examples from the announcement included Mayor's Cafe, BB's Bake House and Vanilla Espresso among food finalists; Chela's, Corner 67 and Cancun Grill among nightlife finalists; and local service finalists such as AC Graphics Digital and Zen K9 Club. Organizers said winners will be announced on Oct. 5 and featured in an ad planned for Oct. 16 in the Miami Laker.

The event team said eligibility for finalist status requires a business location in Miami Lakes and a current business tax receipt (BTR). Organizers encouraged finalists to rally customers — voting is open to anyone and voters do not need to live in Miami Lakes — and invited finalists to join a group photo and post‑event networking.