11 August 20-26, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | der, leaving immigrants from the Caribbean nation more vulnerable than ever to arrest and deportation. Immigration experts say the loss of status for such a large group is unprecedented in modern U.S. history. The effects are already being felt across South Florida’s Haitian community. It’s been quieter around the streets of Lit- tle Haiti. On a recent evening, the lines at an annual back-to-school supply event in Little Haiti weren’t as long as they’ve been in the past. The counters at Chef Creole, the family- owned Caribbean restaurant chain known for Haitian- and Bahamian-inspired Creole com- fort food, have also been slower. Earlier this month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained a man riding a scooter outside the Chef Creole location in Little Haiti. Wilkinson “Ken” Se- jour (AKA Chef Cre- ole), owner of the longtime Miami sta- ple, says the arrest set off rumors about a raid at his restau- rant and added to the anxiety sweep- ing through the community. “You are taking key people, and now you are giving people the impression that it’s not even safe to come to my business,” Sejour told Local 10 News. After 34 years and several locations, Sejour says the end of TPS means his future in the hospitality business is “almost going to be non-existent.” He’s already lost his entire management team, he says, and expects to shut down two stores as a result. It’s unclear which locations, or when. In an interview with CBS Evening News, Sejour admits he voted for President Donald Trump. Asked whether he regrets it, his an- swer is immediate: “Yes.” The Trump administration has argued that Haiti no longer meets the conditions for TPS, despite the country’s ongoing security and humanitarian crisis. As of March, gangs controlled 90% of Hai- ti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, according to the United Nations (UN). Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, described the city as a “kill zone” in remarks before the UN Security Council in July. Haiti holds a Level 4 advisory from the U.S. State Department, warning Americans not to travel to the country due to the risk of crime, terrorism, kidnapping and unrest. Founded by Sejour and his late brother, Jude Pierre, Chef Creole opened its first res- taurant — a takeout joint on NE 78th Street in Miami — in 1992. Today, there are six loca- tions across Miami. In 2006, Anthony Bourdain visited Chef Creole during the second season of “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations,” where he sam- pled the restaurant’s Caribbean seafood alongside Sejour. The following year, New Times awarded the restaurant the title of Best Conch Fritters in Miami. Chef Creole. Various locations, including 200 NW 54th St., Miami; 305-754-2223; chef- creole.com. ALEX DELUCA ▼ UNINCORPORATED MIAMI-DADE LAST MEAL After six decades in business, the Winn-Dixie anchoring the Bird Ludlam Shopping Center at 6770 Bird Road has closed for good. The store closed on August 2 ahead of a conver- sion to Aldi, a closing first reported by the Mi- ami Herald. The store had sold groceries on the corner of Bird and Ludlam since 1960, when it opened as a Kwik Chek. This makes the in- coming Aldi the third grocery name on the same corner in 66 years. For those reading this thinking, “What’s the big deal?” Well, neighborhoods depend on their longtime grocery stores, and seeing one go can shake up a community. Kwik Chek was an early Winn-Dixie brand, and the store carried the Winn-Dixie name for decades after the switch. It under- went a remodel and an updated produce de- partment as recently as August 2018. “All associates at this location received ad- vance notice, and Winn-Dixie is working closely with Aldi to support a smooth transi- tion,” Meredith Hurley, Winn-Dixie’s senior director of communications and community, told the Herald. “Associates will have the first opportunity to apply for roles at the new Aldi.” The new Aldi does not have an opening date yet. These conversions usually take about a year to complete. The closing goes back to March 2024, when Aldi bought Winn-Dixie’s parent com- pany. A group led by Winn-Dixie CEO An- thony Hucker and C&S Wholesale Grocers bought the company back in February 2025, but Aldi kept roughly 220 Winn-Dixie and Harveys locations to convert to its own stores by 2027, including 162 in Florida. Last fall, the parent company rebranded from Southeast- ern Grocers to The Winn-Dixie Company, keeping around 130 traditional grocery stores with a Florida focus. Miami-Dade has a growing list of these. At least seven Winn-Dix- ies in the county are on the Aldi conversion list, including the California Club store on Ives Dairy Road, which closed in May, and the Sunset West store at Sunset Drive and 87th Avenue, where a conversion that began in 2025 is near- ing completion almost a year later. In its final days, shoppers picked the shelves clean at 40 percent off. “Lots of ice cream, frozen foods and chocolates!!” one customer posted on the neighborhood app Nextdoor. “Have a blessed week.” Winn-Dixie at Bird Ludlam Shopping Center. 6770 Bird Road, Miami. Closed Aug. 2. Aldi opening date TBD. OLEE FOWLER Photo by Bill Wisser for Miami New Times Provided by Winn-Dixie Miami Chef Creole owner Wilkinson “Ken” Sejour regrets voting for Trump as the end of Haitian TPS threatens his restaurants. SEJOUR SAYS THE END OF TPS MEANS HIS FUTURE IN THE HOSPITALITY BUSINESS IS “ALMOST GOING TO BE NON- EXISTENT.” Historic Miami grocery store Winn-Dixie at Bird Ludlam Shopping Center has closed after 66 years to make way for an Aldi supermarket.
