Steelcity Brings Austrian Coffee to the Wynwood Yard

This past November, Steelcity, a coffee concept from Linz, Austria, set up shop thousands of miles away at the Wynwood Yard.

Whipping up dark-blend espressos, the pop-up coffee shop brings traditional European-style java to Miami, something founders/owners Anela Hrnic and Michael Holaschke believe the city desperately needs.

"Our coffee definitely goes a little bit against the trend in Miami," Holaschke says. "You see a lot of fruity, high-in-acidity espressos here. But we're going for more of an Italian, full-body chocolate espresso."

The couple's small wooden stand is equipped with a high-tech coffeemaker, grinder, and accessories. In the front, a white poster is plastered below the counter, handwritten with Steel City's java selection.

Besides espresso, snag an Americano or a cortadito, as well as cappuccino, latte, flat white, drip coffee, or cold-brew. All of Steelcity's drinks use organic whole milk. Prices range from $3 to $4.50 in a variety of sizes, from four to 12 ounces.

"The coffee landscape in Miami is very thin," Holaschke says. "There is a lot of potential to grow here, and people in Miami are looking for new and different coffee shops. They don't always want to go to Starbucks." Steelcity isn't tied to one roaster, but predominantly uses Great Circle Coffee, a small-scale speciality coffee brand based in Little Haiti. They often use a blend called the GC Heart, which features a chocolate and toasted caramel tang with a hint of spice.

"Many places don't have approachable espresso," Holaschke says. "There's so much fruity taste out there. We like to go with something darker."

Steelcity is based on the duo's Austrian coffee shop, Die Brüher, which they founded in 2012 in Linz. For now, Steelcity will remain a pop-up at the Wynwood Yard, and there are no plans to open a brick-and-mortar.

"We're thinking of maybe going in the direction of a store within a store or having a restaurant or hotel implement our coffee shop concept," Holaschke says. "A lot of businesses are interested in creating a local synergy, which is something we'd love."

Steelcity is open Thursday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. inside the Wynwood Yard.

Follow Clarissa Buch on Instagram and Twitter.