Local Restaurant Brings Dominican Flavor to Haines City

Mi Tierra Restaurant LLC of Polk County

For Rene Perez and his wife, opening Mi Tierra Restaurant was more than launching a business. It was the fulfillment of a decades-long dream and an opportunity to share Dominican culture with a growing Central Florida community.

Located in Haines City, Mi Tierra Restaurant has quickly established itself as a destination for authentic Dominican cuisine, offering fresh, homemade dishes while introducing residents to the flavors and traditions of the Dominican Republic. The restaurant is believed to be the first Dominican restaurant in the city, a distinction that carries special meaning for its owners.

“My wife and I are the ones doing the job here that the Lord put us in Haines City to do, to be the first Dominican restaurant,” said Rene Perez. “We want to make sure we bring to the community the culture of the Dominican Republic, and the best way to do it is with food.”

For Perez, the journey to ownership began years ago. After spending more than two decades working in the restaurant and fast-food industry, he never let go of his goal of owning a restaurant of his own. The concept was one he and his family had operated previously in Pennsylvania, and after relocating to Florida, they saw an opportunity to bring it to life once again.

“The reason why we chose this is it was a dream that I wanted to have for a long time,” Perez said. “Everything came together after we put our dream in the Lord’s hands, and my wife came along and said, ‘Let’s do it together.’ We prayed for it, and He made it happen.”

Turning that dream into a reality, however, required navigating a new set of regulations and requirements. Although Perez had previous business experience, he quickly learned that opening a restaurant in Florida involved different processes than those he had encountered elsewhere.

That is where the Florida SBDC at USF stepped in. After connecting with business consultant Randy Hayes, Perez gained access to guidance and resources that helped streamline the startup process and avoid costly missteps.

“Florida SBDC at USF was key, and I believe this is something that every business should be able to use because a lot of people do not know the steps to go through in the process to open a business,” Perez said. “I was able to get all the information that I needed, not to go nuts from one place to another, and make this a reality.”

Perez credits the organization with helping Mi Tierra Restaurant move from concept to operation. Since opening, the restaurant has experienced steady growth as word spreads throughout the community.

“Thanks to SBDC, we grabbed the information that we got from you guys and put it in place,” he said. “We were able to actually break the ice in the last few 30 days that we’ve been open.”

Customer traffic has increased consistently since opening day, with sales continuing to climb as more residents discover the restaurant.

“From first day to now, it has been an increase nonstop,” Perez said. “You could tell the difference from having 20, 30 customers a day. We are actually doubling the digits, and that’s the goal, to continue growing and make sure people know that Mi Tierra has [its] doors open.”

While growth is important, Perez measures success differently. For him, the greatest achievement is creating a business that serves the community while providing quality food prepared with care.

“We are very proud to use fresh ingredients,” he said. “We eat here, my kids eat here, and the community needs to know that whatever they put in their mouth from us is fresh food, homemade.”

Looking ahead, the couple plans to continue expanding their reach throughout Polk County and beyond. They also expect to maintain a relationship with the Florida SBDC at USF as they pursue future growth opportunities.

“We want to be the next one in the next communities, and we know that using SBDC is going to help us be more successful,” Perez said. “This is something that we’re just getting started with.”

Just as importantly, Perez hopes to encourage other aspiring entrepreneurs to take advantage of the resources available to them through the Florida SBDC at USF.

“There is no way you’re going to run unless you know how to walk, and you guys know the steps for a lot of businesses to be able to open,” he said. “You have a leader there for you at no extra cost who’s willing to help you. Why not?”

For Mi Tierra Restaurant, the future is about more than business growth. It is about sharing culture, serving fresh food, and helping build a stronger small-business community. “Being blessed is blessing somebody else,” Perez said. “If we can continue sharing the information that you guys gave us with the next person, that’s just blessing somebody else.”