In Miami, the name Choices is synonymous with vegan cuisine. And now fans of the plant-based eateries will have one more choice in their roster of restaurants -- in Coconut Grove.
This will be Choices' fourth cafe in Miami and comes quickly behind the January opening of their new Coral Gables locale on Ponce de Leon. The Coconut Grove location is predicted to open in early June in a historic building on McFarland Road.
See also: Choices Cafe Opens Coral Gables Location Today
"We didn't choose the Grove, the Grove chose us. That's kind of how we operate;
we let the universe guide us," says Choices president Lori Zito. "Really we want to grow this to hundreds, so whatever path is laid out for is is whatever direction we go in."
Coconut Grove came on the scene when a long-time Choices customer offered up the idea. He owns the building on McFarland Road.
"He really wants to see the Grove come back with a community of conscious-driven businesses, so he kind of sought us out to see if we would be interested," Zito explains. "By him coming to us, to have a landlord who is so in line and supportive with what we're doing, it makes all the difference in the world."
The Choices team is all about being a community partner in each of its different locales, tailoring the locations to the neighborhoods. The Gables spot also felt like a natural fit, Zito told us back in January. It was previously built out as a healthy restaurant (making the transition easier) and features a big, dog-friendly back patio.
Additionally, Choices Cafe has a location on the Upper Eastside (NE 79th St.) plus Choices Kitchen on NW 27th Ave..
The new Grove location is an even bigger space and includes a large front patio, Zito says. A yoga studio will also set up shop in the building.
They're looking to open in early June, but as always, it depends on permitting and building issues. The Grove space was previously a bar. "They're kind of tearing it apart and rebuilding it," Zito explains.
The new location will be 100 percent organic and vegan and offer the full Choices menu and fresh-pressed juices like the other spots, but there'll also be some surprises. Since the space is so big, they plan to implement some fun, innovative ideas. "Stuff that'll be completely new to Miami," Zito teases.
The location will also have a large front patio. The team is excited about the outdoor seating and opportunities to draw in new customers via foot traffic at both locations, Zito says. They're also hugely grateful to all the regular customers that frequent the three current locations.
As far as the Gables spot, "It's slowly getting busier through word of mouth. It's exciting to see that to have people walk by and wander in, it's a whole new thing," Zito says.
Next up, Grove domination.
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