South Florida Staple Knaus Berry Farm Reopens in New Location

Long before the sun fully rose over South Dade on Monday morning, the lines had already formed. By 8 a.m., cars filled the parking lot, phones were out, and the familiar hum of anticipation returned to the Redlands. Monday marked the official opening of the new home of Knaus Berry Farm, a reopening that feels less like a debut and more like a homecoming for a place that has been stitched into Miami’s collective memory for nearly seven decades.

After 65 years in Homestead, the beloved farmstand and bakery has reopened a few miles north at 16790 SW 177th Ave., ushering in a new chapter under new ownership while holding tight to the traditions that made it legendary. The cinnamon rolls are still warm and impossibly gooey. The milkshakes still taste like winter in South Florida. And the lines, at least on opening day, were just as long as ever.

A New Address, the Same Anticipation

The move comes with a significant change behind the scenes, but customers would be hard-pressed to notice it from the counter. The Knaus family’s recipes remain unchanged, with family members serving as consultants to ensure continuity. Longtime bakery manager Thomas Blocher continues to play a hands-on role as a kitchen consultant, ensuring that the details that regulars claim they would notice instantly are safeguarded. From the texture of the dough to the precise sweetness of the glaze, the goal was never reinvention.

Much of the physical soul of Knaus made the move, too. The original shake stand from the 1980s has been carefully refurbished and relocated. Some of the original kitchen equipment is still in use, paired with a new oven designed to help meet the overwhelming demand. Even the menu board has been lovingly recreated by the same artist who made the original, offering a comforting sense of déjà vu to anyone who has stood in line clutching cash in the past.

Preserving the Magic Without Reinventing It

That familiarity is intentional. Joel White, who co-owns the farm with a group of local investors, has framed the transition as stewardship rather than takeover. Prices remain remarkably affordable, with cinnamon rolls still priced at $1.45 each and milkshakes under $10. Cakes and cheesecakes stay firmly in the everyday splurge category, not luxury territory. The bakery continues to sell locally grown produce sourced from nearby farms, including Sam S. Accursio and Sons Farms, reinforcing its deep agricultural roots.

There are changes, though, and most of them are welcome. The new location offers more parking, guest bathrooms, shade for those waiting in line, and, for the first time ever, credit card payments. Knaus is also now open on Sundays, a small operational shift that feels monumental to generations of Miamians who once planned entire weekends around a Saturday morning drive south.

Small Changes That Feel Monumental

The history of Knaus Berry Farm is inextricably linked to Miami itself. Founded in 1956 by brothers Ray and Russell Knaus, the roadside stand evolved organically, expanding from berries to baked goods after Ray’s wife Barbara was encouraged to sell her homemade cookies. Over the decades, the farm became a ritual, a pilgrimage, and a symbol of Old Miami resilience. Even through personal tragedy and loss, the ovens never stopped, and the community never wavered.

For many, this week’s grand opening is an emotional experience. It represents the end of one era and the careful beginning of another. Miami has always been a city in motion, and as beloved institutions adapt to survive, Knaus Berry Farm’s reopening stands as proof that growth does not have to mean erasure. Some traditions are strong enough to travel.

As the line continues to stretch under the Redlands sun, the message is clear. The address may be new, but the magic is exactly where Miami remembers it.

Knaus Berry Farm. 16790 SW 177th Ave., Miami; knausberryfarm.com. Now open for the season. Knaus Berry Farm will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.