Miami New Times named Carrot Best Local Healthy Food Chain in its Best of Miami 2026 issue. For a restaurant brand that began inside a Miami Beach gas station in 1993, the recognition carries a special meaning: it comes from the city where the Carrot story began.
More than three decades later, the brand has grown across South Florida and New York, but Miami remains central to its identity. The 2026 recognition celebrates that local history as much as the salads, bowls, wraps, breakfast dishes and smoothies served today.
Read the Best Local Healthy Food Chain recognition from Miami New Times
Carrot 2026 Award at a Glance
- Award: Best Local Healthy Food Chain
- Presented by: Miami New Times
- Edition: Best of Miami 2026
- Brand founded: 1993
- Place of origin: Miami Beach, Florida
- Founder: Mario Laufer
It Started in Miami
Carrot was founded by Mario Laufer inside a gas station in Miami Beach in 1993. What began as a local counter has since grown into a restaurant brand with locations across South Florida and New York.
That history makes the Miami New Times recognition especially meaningful. Carrot was not created elsewhere and later introduced to Miami; its story, menu and growth began here.
The original concept was built around a straightforward goal: offer quick, fresh food without giving up flavor. That idea has remained visible as the brand has expanded, with a menu that now covers everything from all-day breakfast and salads to bowls, wraps, smoothies and other everyday options.
What the 2026 Recognition Means
Best of Miami highlights restaurants, businesses and experiences that help define the city. In its 2026 edition, Miami New Times selected Carrot as Best Local Healthy Food Chain.
For Carrot, the recognition connects the brand’s current growth with its local beginnings. It also places the company within Miami’s restaurant story—not simply as a place associated with healthy eating, but as a Miami-founded restaurant brand that has been part of the community for more than three decades.
That connection is particularly notable because the business has continued to grow well beyond its first location. What started as a small Miami Beach operation is now a larger fast-casual brand serving South Florida and New York.
A Menu That Has Grown With the Brand
From the beginning, Carrot has built its menu around a simple idea: food can feel fresh and satisfying without being complicated.
Today, that approach extends across breakfast, salads, bowls, wraps, smoothies and other choices designed for different parts of the day. The menu has room for familiar favorites as well as different preferences, from the Green Goddess and Oriental Crunch salads to wraps, power bowls and all-day breakfast.
The variety is part of what has allowed the original concept to grow without becoming tied to a single dish or type of customer.
Miami Is Still Part of the Story
Even as Carrot has expanded, South Florida remains the center of the brand’s footprint. Its Miami-area locations serve different neighborhoods and business districts, but they all belong to the same local story that began in Miami Beach.
Today, the brand’s locations span Miami and the wider South Florida area, alongside its growing presence in New York.
That local foundation remains an important part of the brand’s identity. Carrot has grown, but Miami is still where the story starts.
What Has Stayed Consistent as Carrot Has Grown
The business has changed significantly since 1993, but several parts of the original idea remain recognizable: a broad menu, food prepared for different moments of the day and a casual format that works for dine-in, takeout and delivery.
That continuity helps explain why the 2026 recognition feels connected to the brand’s history rather than to a single dish or location.
Carrot has added locations, expanded its menu and entered new markets, but the connection between the brand and its Miami beginnings has remained.
From Miami to New York
The idea that began in Miami has also traveled beyond South Florida. Carrot now operates in New York, bringing the same broad menu and fast-casual format to another city—but its roots remain firmly in Miami.
The expansion is another part of the story behind the 2026 recognition: a restaurant concept that began locally has continued to grow while keeping its original city at the center of its identity.
A Miami Recognition for a Miami-Born Brand
Being named Best Local Healthy Food Chain by Miami New Times is a milestone in a story that began in Miami Beach more than 30 years ago.
As Carrot continues to grow, the recognition is also a reminder of where the brand started—and of the city that helped shape it.
Explore Carrot locations across Miami, South Florida and New York
Frequently Asked Questions
What award did Carrot receive in 2026?
Miami New Times named Carrot Best Local Healthy Food Chain in its Best of Miami 2026 edition.
Is Carrot a Miami-based restaurant chain?
Yes. Mario Laufer founded Carrot inside a Miami Beach gas station in 1993. The company later expanded across South Florida and New York.
Where can I find Carrot locations?
Carrot operates locations across South Florida and New York. Current addresses and hours are available on the Carrot locations page.
Has Carrot expanded beyond Miami?
Yes. The Miami-born brand has expanded across South Florida and into New York City, while continuing to identify Miami as its home.
A Recognition Rooted in Miami
Being named Best Local Healthy Food Chain by Miami New Times is a milestone in a story that began in Miami Beach more than 30 years ago. As Carrot continues to grow, the recognition is also a reminder of where the brand started—and of the city that helped shape it.
Explore Carrot locations across Miami, South Florida and New York.