Southern Roots began with flowers, but its story was always rooted in hospitality.
In this episode of First Bites, founder and CEO Mariana Linaldi shares how her experience producing weddings and events helped inspire the evolution of Southern Roots from a boutique and flower shop into a Southern-inspired brunch restaurant. The connection felt natural. Both sides of the business are built around creating a setting where people can gather, celebrate, and feel cared for.
From flowers and events to a restaurant
Mariana had already spent years working in hospitality through weddings and events. Opening a restaurant brought those experiences together in a new way.
Time spent visiting the Texas Hill Country also influenced her vision. She was drawn to distinctive places where the food, atmosphere, and hospitality felt connected. Southern Roots became a way to create that kind of experience in the Rio Grande Valley.
The restaurant first opened four years before this episode was filmed in Sharyland, inside the building previously occupied by Renaissance of Sharyland. From the beginning, the goal was bigger than serving a meal. Mariana wanted guests to enter a space that felt memorable and different from what they expected.
“The chicken and waffles is very iconic for us.”
Mariana Linaldi
A Southern-inspired brunch in the Rio Grande Valley
Southern Roots focuses on Southern-inspired brunch and comfort food classics. When asked which menu item a first-time guest should try, Mariana points to the chicken and waffles.
The dish features a thick waffle shaped like Texas, paired with one of the restaurant's most recognizable comfort-food combinations. It captures the personality of Southern Roots: familiar, playful, and closely connected to its sense of place.
Creating a sense of discovery
For Mariana, one of the most rewarding moments happens when guests walk through the door for the first time. She sees people take in the flowers, design, and atmosphere, then react to how unexpected the restaurant feels.
Guests sometimes tell her that it feels as though they are no longer in the Valley. That reaction has remained meaningful throughout the restaurant's growth because it reflects the experience she set out to build: something local that can still transport the people who visit it.
The meaning behind Southern Roots
The name Southern Roots reflects Mariana's affection for Southern culture and hospitality. She describes the feeling through familiar details: sitting on a porch, drinking tea, being surrounded by flowers, and spending time with family.
The final name came from her son, who suggested Southern Roots. It brought together the warmth, family connection, and hospitality that Mariana wanted the business to represent.
