Josh is indeed eating his way across Florida... and it all started in Broward.
Credit: @wholeaspect
If you've spent any time scrolling South Florida food content lately, chances are you've come across Josh Laspina.
Better known online as Josh Eats FL, the Coconut Creek resident has built a loyal following across Instagram,TikTok, YouTube and Facebook by doing something surprisingly simple: showing up, asking questions and telling very honest stories about local restaurants.
Born at Broward General Hospital and raised in Tamarac and Coconut Creek, Laspina is as local as it gets. Long before he was filming pizza slices and sandwich specials, he was a football player who attended Florida State University after a shoulder injury ended his college football career.
His professional path initially led somewhere completely different. For a decade, he worked at American Express, climbing through leadership roles before eventually hitting a wall.
"I got burnt out," Laspina says. "I'd always played it safe. I'd always been conservative. I hadn’t ever done anything too risky or bet on myself."
In April 2025, he walked away from his corporate career. A few months later, after teaching himself videography, editing and branding, he launched Josh Eats FL on July 9.
He hasn't looked back.
What separates Laspina from many food creators is his approach. Before visiting a restaurant, he often reaches out to owners and managers, learning their story and understanding what makes their business tick.
"For me, it's not transactional," he says. "I'm about building a relationship with people, not just for the short term, but for the long term."
That philosophy extends to his reviews. While many creators chase clicks and controversy, Laspina focuses on highlighting businesses he genuinely believes in.
"It's all done for the love, not just for the views," he says.
His mission centers on helping diners discover independent restaurants that may lack large marketing budgets but excel in hospitality, service and food quality. While Broward remains closest to his heart, his coverage now stretches throughout Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, with occasional adventures beyond Florida.
Laspina says he's particularly drawn to owner-operated establishments where passion is evident from the moment guests walk through the door. He believes hospitality remains one of the most overlooked ingredients in the dining experience and often spends as much time learning about a business's story as he does sampling the menu.
His favorite finds? Recently, Peter's Pizzeria in Pompano Beach impressed him with a 72-hour fermented dough and what he describes as one of the best Sicilian vodka pizzas he's ever eaten. He also raves about Generoso's in Parkland, calling it South Florida's top Italian sandwich shop.
Away from the camera, Laspina remains a sports fanatic, movie buff and longtime basketball player. He balances his constant restaurant visits with intermittent fasting and still makes time to attend community events across the region.
As Josh Eats FL approaches its first anniversary, Laspina's ambitions continue to grow. His expanding website, josheatsfl.com, and comprehensive Linktree have become central hubs connecting followers to oodles of restaurant recommendations and content across platforms.
The growth has been impressive, but for Laspina, the most rewarding moments come when local business owners tell him his coverage made a difference or when followers share how his story inspired them to pursue their own dreams.
"Bet on yourself," he says. "Nobody's going to give it to you."
For more information, visit www.josheatsfl.com or https://linktr.ee/josheatsfl.
