Audio By Carbonatix
Something special seems to be brewing in Dania Beach since the opening of the café Papa Thanks So Much on November 30. People are stopping by in droves to try the spot’s coffee, matcha drinks, and baked goods, including focaccia, cinnamon rolls, and cookies, from Eliça’s Baking.
“Coffee to me is one of my love languages,” cofounder Aloni Matzon says in a video posted to the café’s Instagram. “It’s something that I love, something that should be enjoyed and respected.”
Step inside Papa, and you might feel as if you’ve stepped into a Glossier store. It’s sparsely decorated, with marble and concrete as the dominant materials, with pops of color from plants and art on the walls.
Papa Thanks So Much photo
This year, make your gift count –
Invest in local news that matters.
Our work is funded by readers like you who make voluntary gifts because they value our work and want to see it continue. Make a contribution today to help us reach our $30,000 goal!
A Delicious and Unique Menu Ready for the ‘Gram
Regardless of the decor, your eye will be instantly drawn to the chrome La Marzocco espresso machine on the counter. Baristas prepare standard coffee drinks, such as espressos, cortados, cappuccinos, and macchiatos, as well as a variety of creative concoctions. There’s the “Cafe Coqui” with espresso milk, condensed and evaporated milk, coconut cream, cold foam, coconut flakes, cinnamon, and sea salt; and the “My Good Girl” with espresso, Táche pistachio milk, salted caramel, cold foam, Marky’s dehydrated caviar pearls, and caviar salt.
The café’s popularity shouldn’t come as a surprise. Aloni and his popular influencer wife, Danielle Zaslavsky Matzon, are behind the concept, along with Adam Benaim and his celebrity wardrobe stylist and podcaster wife, Sarah Akiba Benaim. Daniella alone has over one million followers on TikTok, where she shares makeup tips as well as instructions for opening a tin of caviar. Whenever Daniella posts from the coffee shop, her followers comment that they plan to stop by on their next visit to South Florida.
Papa Thanks So Much photo
Despite Its Picturesque Aesthetics, Papa Hits Close to Home
“It’s the foundation of everything I’ve ever done,” Aloni says in another Instagram video. “It comes from my father—hence the name.” He adds that the coffee shop’s name is an homage to and expression of gratitude for his father, who encouraged him to do so much.
“Papa should feel like another home away from home,” Sarah says on Instagram. “It’s that safe feeling, that’s how it should feel.” She adds that, despite the masculine-sounding name, the café is infused with feminine energy, from the décor to the shop’s nurturing atmosphere.
Customers are responding to Papa in kind, with many praising the inventive drinks. Instagram user @poorlittlenomad noted, “I’m convinced every city needs one café that’s not afraid to be a little extra.” She particularly calls out the “My Good Girl” so blending coffee with caviar and actually tasting good.
Papa Thanks So Much. 3 N. Federal Hwy., Dania Beach; 305-306-1870; instagram.com/papathankssomuch. Daily 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
