Edgy Miami Motorcycle-Themed Coffee Shop Expands to Broward

Let's be real — a lot of specialty coffee shops these days can feel a bit sterile. Scandinavian-inspired oversimplicity, maybe a bougie-looking muffin enclosed behind a glass case and, yippee, a singular plant sprout for a touch of greenery.

This is why Imperial Moto is a breath of really cool air. Since 2016, Little River's Imperial Moto has been breaking the norm of what a truly quality coffee shop needs to look and feel like. Its Little River home base has classic tricked-out motorcycles placed throughout the space, speedster helmets donning its walls, cool merchandise like shirts and bomber jackets with skulls on them, and, oh yeah, damn good, Miami-roasted coffee sourced from around the world.

The epic coffee shop was founded by coffee aficionado and motorcycle lover Matt McKenna, who will open his first Broward location of Imperial Moto on Saturday, January 11, in Oakland Park at 2091 E. Oakland Park Blvd. (His other location in Miami-Dade opened in 2022 at Aventura Mall.)

"Imperial Moto started by combining my two biggest passions and has evolved into so much more, spanning an apparel component to wholesale distribution," McKenna tells New Times. "It's all about community. And here, in Oakland Park, is exactly where we want to be."

Behind a Garage Door, There's an Epic Coffee Shop

Imperial Moto occupies a 1,400 square-foot, ground-level space of Oakland Park's sparkly new Oaklyn complex, with fellow future neighbors like Carrot Express and Bondi Sushi. Similar to Imperial Moto's Little River location, there's a glass garage door entry with plenty of ultra-plush brown chairs inside and out for coffee lovers, remote work warriors, and the in-between to get cozy.

Inside, guests will find a long, white quartz bar with a poppin' silver Strada espresso machine and a display of hot empanadas, with varieties spanning from chicken to caprese. Behind the coffee bar is a mirrored, golden wall with shelves of bags of freshly roasted coffee to gawk at and potentially take home. The undeniable pizzazz of the entire space is a giant golden lightning bolt fixture looming above, with unique pendant lighting trickling down.

Toward the back of the store is a classic, royal blue Suzuki motorcycle propped up on a table, surrounded by Imperial Moto-branded merch aplenty, including biker gloves and leather jackets. The trucker hat — which celebs like Dax Shepard have been known to love — is there to purchase, too.

Epic Merchandise and All, It's Still All About the Coffee

Amid all the vroom-vroomness of it all, McKenna is still equally as much of a coffee guy.

"The quality of our coffee here could not be higher, and I really do value the farm partnerships I've built through the years focused on sustainable and ethical practices," he says. On any given day, the shop may have a naturally processed, passion fruit-flavored single origin from Finca La Primavera in Colombia or its signature Café Racer Blend with a salted caramel allure featuring high-grade coffee from across Central and South America.

Imperial Moto's Oakland Park location is now open and will officially celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, January 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In the spirit of the brand, there will be a Porsche gathering from Vintage Vices, DJ set from Duophonic, live jams from Ryan Cooper, and, of course, lots of coffee. McKenna says he aims to use the location's shared parking lot space — on weekends and when vacant — for prospective car gatherings, perhaps some BMX spectacles, and more.

As for what's next, McKenna says Imperial Moto's next location will open on the island of St. Barts in the coming weeks, another place he holds dear.

Imperial Moto Oakland Park. 2091 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park; imperialmoto.com.