Miami business owner gives convicted felons another chance

MIAMI – Alex Montanez is the proprietor behind the celebrity-loved Natural Meals Kings meals vehicles and eating places in Miami-Dade County.

As a convicted felon, Montanez, 38, is aware of how troublesome it’s to discover a job as soon as somebody has been launched from jail, and that’s why he determined that he would solely rent convicted felons to work at his eateries.

Montanez served 5 years in jail, starting when he was 20, after he says he was wrongfully convicted of cash laundering.

He had by no means been in bother with the regulation previous to his arrest.

After he acquired out of jail, Montanez discovered it troublesome to land a very good job so he determined that changing into a enterprise proprietor could be the one approach he may guarantee his success.

In consequence, he opened varied companies, together with a shoe retailer, quite a few mattress shops and Natural Meals Kings.

One in all Montanez’s Natural Meals Kings workers served 15 years in jail for possession of marijuana. He was simply 19 years previous when he went in, spending the vast majority of his grownup life thus far behind bars.

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One other worker served 9 years in jail for against the law he didn’t commit. In that case, the precise offender ultimately confessed to the crime and DNA additionally cleared him of wrongdoing.

That worker is now working to get his report expunged.

“They’re the most effective workers,” Montanez mentioned. “They’re the primary ones in and the final ones to depart, as a result of they know if this doesn’t work out, they’re not going to get a company job … They get the job that no one needs — chopping grass, selecting up rubbish.”

As a husband and father of 4, Montanez mentioned he doesn’t worker anybody who has been convicted of rape or crimes towards youngsters.

So why vegan meals?

Montanez mentioned he has solely been a vegan for a few years, however his spouse, Elena Montanez, has been one for about 10 years.

He mentioned having emergency gallbladder surgical procedure a number of years in the past compelled him to reevaluate his well being and what sorts of meals he was placing into his physique.

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However that doesn’t imply the meals can’t nonetheless be tasty.

Natural Meals Kings gives quite a lot of choices, from burgers to vegan shrimp tacos.

Their meals is even cherished by an enormous vary of celebrities, akin to Rihanna, Lenny Kravitz, DJ Khalid, and even Madonna.

Natural Meals Kings first opened up in Midtown six days earlier than the 2020 pandemic lockdown in Miami-Dade County.

They’re situated at 3246 North Miami Ave., but additionally have places in Kendall, Brickell and Doral.

Click on right here for extra details about Natural Meals Kings and to view their menu.