Profile
Established in 1985, Brustman Carrino Public Relations (BCPR), formerly Susan Brustman & Associates, specializes in high profile culinary and hospitality campaigns; creating innovative publicity, marketing and special events programs for more than two decades. BCPR believes there is an art to creating strategic special events and publicity campaigns. One of the only Miami firms with a strong network of local and national media contacts, BCPR blends an expertise in story development, image building, and special events marketing with an eye to creating a buzz among media and driving business from South Florida locals as well as visitors. The firm also represents its clients in the marketing realm, often securing high profile local and national product ambassadorships, a key element to branding chefs and restaurants in the culinary market place.
We currently represent James Beard Award-winning chefs Michael Schwartz, Michelle Bernstein and Allen Susser; and have proudly represented all six of South Florida's James Beard Award recipients during their history making careers. The firm's prestigious clients currently range from Michy's, SRA. Martinez, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, BLT Steak, Chef Allen's, Solea, The Restaurant at The Setai, Wish, Joey's Italian Cafe to the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Blue Star Foods and Whole Foods Market - Florida. The firm’s hospitality roster includes South Beach-based Goldman Properties' award-winning boutique property The Hotel, the historic Park Central Hotel and the newly redesigned, philanthropically-oriented Ocean Drive hotel, The Betsy.
We bring our clients more than two decades of experience, the respect of our community and a strong network of media contacts and valuable corporate relationships. This is the firm that represented The Strand, South Beach's first see-and-be-seen restaurant and many of the hotels, restaurants and events that helped define the emerging destination. The firm also brought the Delano and Raleigh into the global media spotlight, launched Mandarin Oriental Miami, and introduced Ocean Drive Magazine to the world at large. One of the first PR firms in the U.S. to specialize in culinary public relations, BCPR has generated numerous national restaurant features and booked clients on prestigious local and national television shows including the Today Show, CBS Early Show, Food Network, Bravo's Top Chef and the Travel Channel.
The BCPR database encompasses more than 12,000 locally based VIPs, ensuring each client has the right mix of locals for their events. During its 25 year history, the firm helped create some of the most memorable South Florida events of the era, with celebrities including Julia Child, Jean Claude Troisgros, Maguy and Gilbert LeCoze, Anthony Bourdain, Todd Oldham, Hugh Hefner, Quentin Tarantino, Calvin Klein, Madonna, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Rupert Everett, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Greg Allman, ZZ Top, Steven Tyler, and Ben Affleck.
The founder of the firm, Susan Brustman, a former New Yorker, brings more than 20 years of newsroom experience to her clients. A seasoned journalist, she helped establish the Los Angeles Free Press and was affiliated with Time-Life publications and New York magazine. Prior to launching her firm, Brustman honed her promotional skills at the legendary Hank Meyer Associates. She is a member of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau's PR Task Force and is on the board of the South Florida Chapters of the American Institute of Wine & Food and Share Our Strength.
With the firm for more than 14 years, partner and vice president Larry Carrino is well known for his superlative work at the PR helm of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival and has spearheaded publicity, special event and marketing campaigns for a variety of the firm’s top restaurant, hospitality, and entertainment accounts. He is the former co-chair of the South Florida chapter of the American Institute of Wine & Food and in 2009 was selected as one of the top "40 Under 40" professionals by Gold Coast Magazine.
Senior account executive Karen Barofsky, the firm's arts, hospitality and events specialist for over a decade, has represented some of BCPR's top accounts, overseen numerous national media FAM tours and publicity campaigns. She also represents many of the firm's major restaurant clients, creating features in key local and national media.
Account executive Alisah Jeffries joined the firm in 2003. A graduate of Florida International University, she was previously affiliated with the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. A skilled publicist, Ms. Jeffries excels in coordinating local to national press campaigns and in assisting in the creation and publicizing of innovative special events.
Paulina Naranjo is a graduate of St. Thomas University with a Bachelors degree in communications. In addition to managing culinary and special event accounts at BCPR, Paulina serves as the firm's Hispanic media liaison, working her magic on the local-to-international levels.