¿Café Olé? Starbucks Is Coming to Calle Ocho

Little Havana is known around the world for its culture, art, and music. Each day, visitors flock by the thousands to the neighborhood's main street, Calle Ocho, for a Cuban sandwich, a hand-rolled cigar, and a cafecito dispensed from one of the dozens of ventanitas that line the colorful, bustling boulevard.

In a few months' time, however, visitors and locals alike will have a new option to get their caffeine fix, when Starbucks opens in Little Havana.

News of the arrival landed on Twitter in late May, when an account called @melicuntreras posted a photo of the site of the new coffee shop along with the observation, "it's over for lil havana."

it’s over for lil havana pic.twitter.com/22LOZW66zO

— obi juan que no ví (@melicuntreras) May 23, 2022

New Times contacted Starbucks for confirmation, and a spokesperson responded with the following statement:

We are proud to join the Little Havana community later this year on Calle Ocho and SW 17th Ave. To ensure Starbucks is showing up for this community in a way that honors the soul and culture of Little Havana, we have engaged a diverse group of neighborhood artists, officials and community members to influence the design, feel and local hiring of this store. We look forward to serving as an added gathering place for the community for years to come as well as sharing strong connections both inside and outside our store.

The Starbucks on Calle Ocho will open sometime in late 2022, according to the spokesperson, who added that details such as the names of the local artists who will contribute to the shop have not been finalized. New Times has not been able to verify the exact street address, but judging from @melicuntreras' photo, the store will be located in a Spanish Mediterranean-style building at the northwest corner of the intersection of SW Eighth Street and 17th Avenue.

No word on whether the Calle Ocho location will alter its menu to fit into the neighborhood. In 2014, Starbucks offered a menu of Latin-inspired treats, available only in Miami-area stores. The limited-edition "sabores tradicionales" menu included a guava cream cheese croissant blossom, a dulce de leche tart, and a tres leches cake.

Starbucks is not the first uber-American fast-food chain to open on Calle Ocho. McDonald's has been a longtime resident, and Domino's Pizza, Wendy's, and Taco Bell are all located along the famed stretch.

Starbucks. Calle Ocho and SW 17th St., Miami; starbucks.com. Opening late 2022.