Via Emilia 9 in South Beach prides itself on serving authentic regional cuisine from the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy. Just north of Tuscany, the region includes cities like Bologna, Parma, Ferrara, and Modena. The name Via Emilia refers to the main street that crosses the entire region. The restaurant is owned by husband and wife team chef Wendy Cacciatore and Valentina Imbrenda.

The couple is from Emilia-Romagna and started in the restaurant industry back in Italy. A few years ago, Cacciatore was invited to Miami to work as a consultant for a restaurant group looking to open an Italian eatery in the area.