Café Grumpy Opens in Coral Gables With Cold-Brew Slushies and Zak the Baker Pastries

Café Grumpy is anything but what its name implies. The Brooklyn-based shop, which opened this summer in Coral Gables, serves coffee, tea, and local pastries in a welcoming and Wi-Fi-connected space.

"So many New Yorkers travel to Miami," cofounder Caroline Bell says. "Miami seemed like a natural place to go. When we found Coral Gables, we knew this was the perfect place."

Founded in 2005, Café Grumpy is an independently owned shop with eight locations across New York City. Coral Gables marks the company's first spot outside the Northeast.

"Before we opened Café Grumpy, I was working in an office and constantly complaining that I couldn't find food or coffee," Bell says. "So I went and opened my own. And the name was basically a sarcastic reaction to the attitude I felt at other places."
Café Grumpy's coffee, roasted in Brooklyn, is offered in hot and cold drinks such as Americanos, lattes, macchiatos, cold brews, and iced mochas. Organic teas, chai and turmeric lattes, and matcha soda ($3 and up) are also available. The Gables location is also the first to debut Café Grumpy's cold-brew-based slushies and line of bottled cold-brew beverages.

"The shop is very similar to the ones up North," she says. "Coral Gables has that neighborhood feel. There's a sense of community here that reminds me of our locations in Chelsea and Park Slope. The weather is nicer here, though."

As for food, the café offers pastries and small bites from some of Miami's best purveyors, including Zak the Baker and Bunnie Cakes. Items include plain and chocolate croissants, cinnamon buns, gluten-free vegan cupcakes, and apricot danishes ($3 and up).

"It's not a full restaurant menu," she says. "We're keeping it simple and letting the coffee be the center of what we do."

Bell envisions expanding across the Miami area, though she has no concrete plans yet. "We'd definitely like to," she says. "Everyone has been really welcoming. For now, we're seeing how things go."

Café Grumpy. 2516 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables; 305-364-5012; cafegrumpy.com. Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.