Navi, Part Coffee Shop, Part Flower Shop, Opens in Coconut Grove

There’s something extremely comforting about finding your favorite local coffee shop. The daily interactions with the baristas who eventually learn your name, your go-to coffee order with almond or oat milk, if you'll be traveling any time soon, or if work has been rough lately and you need a little pick-me-up.

Local coffee shops like this can be the hub of a neighborhood, which is no small feat, but is exactly what Navi aims to create in Coconut Grove.

Navi is a coffee and flower shop that recently opened in Coconut Grove. In only a month, the shop has already started to build its own community in the Grove.

The serene space was founded by a Miami native who came back home after 13 years of living in the fast-paced finance world of New York City. Founder Razzy Ghomeshi's dream was to work in the hospitality industry and eventually return to Miami. Upon meeting his future wife just before the COVID pandemic, he found himself at a professional and personal crossroads.

"My heart was always in Miami," says Ghomeshi. "My family was a huge drive, and I've always had this entrepreneurial spirit, so this idea grew with me for a really long time. Navi is my first time trying something like this, doing anything in hospitality."
But why coffee? While in New York, coffee became a part of his routine. He would religiously get a cup of coffee in the morning from the same place where people knew him by name, and most times the baristas would have his regular order ready.

"I think coffee shops bring people together over a cup of coffee and the connectivity created and the culture around it has a sparkle," he says. "There's something nice about the fluidity of a cafe where you can meet someone for a coffee or you show up by yourself to read the paper. Whatever it may be there's an open-ended flow. I have dreamt of opening a coffee shop for a very long time and the community side of it, the experience side of it, has a big part to play."

Everything about Navi is intentional. From the decorations to its name, Ghomeshi found a way to let his passion translate into the space.

The name "Navi" comes from his mother's name, Navideh. She is a florist, which is why the coffee shop is also a flower shop. In the right corner of the shop, you will find Navideh creating beautiful flower arrangements, which are stored opposite to her creating an encased flower wall.
Ghomeshi's idea was to build a coffee shop where people could sit outside and share a cup of coffee, taking inspiration from New York and European front-porch culture. Inside, guests have two standing spaces by the windows where they can enjoy the coffee, but outside there are more chairs and a small side garden to sit in and enjoy.

Hanging outside, guests can find a few bird feeders, which symbolize the sense of home Navi expects to become for its customers who visit daily and weekly. Ghomeshi and the team know it is a lot of work to maintain this sense of familiarity and connection with each customer, on top of brewing delicious coffee, but he believes it is worth the effort.

"If you stare at a bird feeder, there's something magical about the same birds coming in and flying away," he says. "They might spend two or three seconds or two or three minutes there and then go off with their day. That's what I want us to be, for however long you stay. We're a familiar stop where you're seen, you're heard, and the coffee is great, but the experience makes you want to come back. You feel like this is an extension of a place you know."
As for the menu, guests can find coffee and tea ranging from a $3.75 espresso to a $7 house latte. The menu is simple, with classic selections, yet intentional, with ingredients and house specials that highlight Ghomeshi's cultural background.

"We are Iranian and I want our culture to kind of be present in the cracks," he says. "It is not necessarily in your face, but there are hints of it. We have a Persian pistachio cake, and our house tea has cardamom, saffron, and rosewater. Our house latte has oat milk, honey, and cardamom."

Still, if you decide to get a classic drip coffee, Ghomeshi encourages curiosity about it. He says the team gets excited when guests open that window to talk about the roasters, the beans, where they come from, and the ethos behind it.

"If you don't want to ask, it's totally fine," reassures Ghomeshi. "Our approach is very inviting, warm, and welcoming. But if you start to peel the layers, you'll be excited with what you find behind it."

Navi works with two sisters based in Miami, Daniella Quintero and Fernanda Quintero, who provide fresh baked goods every morning. The pastries and desserts they create, such as a pistachio cake and black sesame tahini banana bread, are all made with ingredients that hint at Ghomeshi's culture to fit Navi's menu.

Soon, Ghomeshi will add savory menu items, thanks to another local partnership.

Although Navi only just celebrated its one-month anniversary the second week of March, the team looks forward to many more happy anniversaries to come.

"I have been taken aback by the overwhelming amount of love from the neighborhood since the opening," says Ghomeshi. "My wife and I went into this with our batteries running empty on day one, but they have completely recharged because of the neighborhood. This has felt so rewarding and has made us feel good that the love is reciprocated."

Navi. 3213 Grand Ave., Coconut Grove; navimiami.com. Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There is complimentary parking for guests in the lot behind the shop.