![]() A few years later, he moved south in search of warmer weather, and started baking favorites that would appear on the first Icebox Cafe menu. ![]() Returning to food, Robert launched his first catering company in 1995, serving high-profile clients, including Martha Stewart. For more than 18 years, he called New York City home, mastering many occupations including finance, catering, public relations, and seasons onstage as a professional classical ballet dancer. Born in the United States and raised in Mexico City, Robert returned to the states to attend the University of Washington and transferred to New York University where he earned a degree in business administration. Robert has always loved cooking and entertaining, but his full-time career in hospitality started later. Robert’s commitment to bring diners the thoughtful, delicious, handmade food that started in his small brunch and dessert cafe still shines on every plate. Icebox Pantry, a wholesale and smart fridge vending machine concept currently expanding into untapped markets, rounds out the group’s offerings. In addition to two popular restaurants, The Icebox Group encompasses a state-of-the-art 10,000 square foot commissary kitchen and two trendsetting concessions at Miami International Airport, one a fast casual concept, the other grab-and-go. Over the years, Robert has expanded his philosophy to new lines of business. Serving wholesome dishes inspired by international travel, in plush spaces designed to feel like a good friend’s spacious home, Robert’s passion for food and innate attention to detail has made Icebox Cafe more than a restaurant concept. The state is looking to get a permanent injunction on Siegmann’s practices, and the restaurants also face penalties for the alleged violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act such as fines up to $15,000 per person affected by these claims.Robert Siegmann, Founder and CEO of The Icebox Group, has been changing the way South Florida dines since he opened his first Miami restaurant in 1998. In Bondi’s complaint, it states that 62 percent of consumers are willing to pay higher prices for items they deem “farm-to-table” and because of this Icebox Cafe tried to “capitalize” on this trend by marketing the restaurant using that term along with words like “community,” “garden,” and “fresh” to create the impression that the menu was locally sourced. As a local business in Miami for two decades, we are dedicated to transparency with our loyal customers and we apologize for any confusion our participation in the campaign may have caused. We relied on our vendors during this time to provide select products farmed and produced in-state, however, at no time did we express that all items on our menu were from local purveyors. Representatives for Icebox released the below statement to Eater: The civil complaint, which was filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, names both Ice Box cafe’s location on Miami Beach and Miami International Airport along with its owner Robert Siegmann of violating Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. ![]() The suit also alleges they “falsely” created a “garden-to-glass” cocktail program that boasted using ingredients from a nearby garden. The restaurant also claimed to serve wild salmon but reportedly had no receipts to back it up. ![]() What exactly did Icebox claim? Allegations include that the restaurant boasted product from Homestead-based Paradise Farms, but has no records of actually purchasing produce from the farm. However, national food distributer, SYSCO, provided much of the food sold,” according to a statement from Bondi’s office. The lawsuit, which was first reported by The Miami Herald, says that the restaurant, “allegedly misled customers by claiming the restaurant received state certification as a local provider and sold local products. Florida’s attorney general Pam Bondi is suing popular Miami Beach restaurant Icebox Cafe, over what she says were “deceptive” claims made by the restaurant used to convince customers they were eating local products when they weren’t.
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