MIAMI – Earlier this week, the owner of Lovely’s in the City publicly disputed our report about her kitchen being shut down due to a rodent infestation.
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She insisted the location —1622 NW 62nd Street —“has been closed for years” and is simply a property that’s “for sale.” But new information from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) tells a very different story.
We reached out to the DBPR for clarification following the owner’s public statement.
The agency confirmed that on April 17, 2025, they conducted a routine, unannounced inspection of Lovely’s in the City, licensed under Healthy Lifestyle Club Inc.
Not only was the kitchen open and operating at the time, but the violations discovered were so severe that an emergency closure was issued on the spot, they said.
The next day — April 18 — a follow-up inspection took place. And who was there?
The owner, Rolanda Benjamin. The same person who claimed the location was no longer in use was present and signed the state inspection report, the DBPR confirmed.
Despite her claims that she no longer uses the kitchen, state records show otherwise.
Inspectors found extensive rodent activity — seven dead mice on glue traps, dozens of droppings around food preparation areas, and other serious violations. There were food items found inside as well.
The facility was shut down until those issues were resolved.
A source tells Local 10 News the location may now be used as a catering operation, which could explain why it’s not open to the general public.
But DBPR makes one thing very clear: the kitchen is in use. Food was being prepared and served at the time of the inspection.
That directly contradicts Benjamin’s statement, which read in part:
“It references a location… that has been closed for years... I do not operate, cater, or do any work from that location.”
But the inspection report — and her signature on it — suggest otherwise.
To be clear, the business license for Lovely’s in the City is delinquent but still active. The state has not been notified of any closure, and the kitchen is still considered operational.
The facts speak for themselves. We’ve posted the inspection reports in full for anyone who wants to read them.
This isn’t a misunderstanding. The owner who says the kitchen is closed was there, inside, during the inspection.
And that’s not our opinion — that’s from the state.