Meet Mariah Sweetz” Matthews | Food Critic

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mariah “Sweetz” Matthews and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mariah “Sweetz”, what do you attribute your success to?
Putting God first has definitely fueled the success of my brand! He gives me the strength daily to be my best self and that’s really important to me. Also, my daughter in heaven, Meliah. It has been tough on me not physically having her here however she motivates me daily as well! She lives through me!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Eatzwithsweetz is my take on everything delicious in South Florida! I’m a pescatarian so I’m always striving to find the best seafood or vegan options. I also love going to grand openings to tell everyone all about a new yummy spot! I started off my entrepreneurial career in 2016 as a gourmet baker for Sweet Elevationz and then Lily Sweetz. I would do bake sales whenever I could and worked my way up to vending at events. I loved what I was doing as it took my mind off of grieving the loss of my daughter who passed away one day after I gave birth.
Everything was going fine but then Covid came around and made business a bit tough to manage. Then in 2020, I lost my Dad which had a great effect on me as well. I tried my best to keep up with business but some days were harder than others. It wasn’t easy at all but I was determined to keep going. I kept baking as much as I could. I appreciate everyone that kept me busy during that tough time because it really made a difference!

I’ve always loved going to new restaurants and having great experiences, so I aimed to do that more in my spare time. It made me happy to show love to other businesses because I knew how tough it could be to manage a business. I started posting reviews to show love to others because that really made a difference for me in my businesses during my tough times. One day, Nailah @senapaisweetsandtreats (Huge shoutout to Nailah!) messaged me and encouraged me to start a foodie page because she loved my reviews so I said, might as well!
I started my food critic journey as Eatzwithsweetz in May 2022 and I’m so happy I did! It allowed me to connect with so many other businesses and support them.
I’ve learned to never give up on yourself, but always find new ways to reinvent yourself and your passions!
I want the world to know I’m here to support and I’m here to be Sweet!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
South Florida is full of so many delicious options! I truly love being in a melting pot of cultures! There’s something here for everyone! Some of my favorite breakfast/brunch spots are FK Your Diet, Carmela Coffee Company, Batch New Southern Kitchen, Jet Runway Cafe, and Tap42.
A few of my favorite lunch spots are Rootz Soul Cafe, Taco Craft, Rendezvous, Tin Fish, and Yot Bar & Kitchen.
For dinner, I’d recommend Sexy Fish, Kaluz, IL Baretto Ristorante, Patio Bar & Pizza, and S3 restaurant.
For Desserts, Holy Cow Ice Cream, Pan’e Dolci Italian Bakery, Softea Dessert Bar, Hof’s House of Sweets, and Spiked Rich.
Game Night is a cool place to hang out as you can eat and play video games there! I’d definitely recommend visiting a farmer’s Market like the Hometown Market in Coconut Creek.
The beach will always be one of the best places to hang out. Nothing Says Florida like the beach!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Huge shoutout to God and my Angels in heaven, my daughter Meliah and my Dad! Major shoutout to my Mom, Pamela for always being there for me and encouraging me to do my best!
Shoutout to Quintin, the best little brother I could ever ask for!
Shoutout to everyone I have met along this entrepreneurial path! It’s a blessing to meet new people that love and support what I do! Those tokens of appreciation mean so much to me and they keep me going!

Instagram: @eatzwithsweetz