Elia Cafe, a brand offering smoothies, breakfast, sandwiches, and Greek and Mediterranean favorites, has been around since 2012, when it was founded by owner Dimitris Harvalis. It currently has two outposts: Elia Cafe at the U, located on the University of Miami campus—which made a splash when it became the first cafe in South Florida to feature a robotic barista—and Elia Pinecrest.
“The menu has a little of everything,” Harvalis told What Now on Friday. “Breakfast items, healthy bowls, acai, fresh smoothies, fresh salads and sandwiches. Everything is made right on the spot when you order it, and we make a lot of our sauces. We also make our own hummus, our own baba ghanoush.”
The brand has a storied past, having grown from space to space. The Coral Gables UM location has been in operation for two years, and is going strong, while the Pinecrest location has just come to the end of its lease.
“When I created Elia back in 2012, my original location was in front of the American Airlines Arena,” Harvalis said. “We were there for six years, when a great opportunity came up in 2018. I moved out of Downtown because rents were going astronomical, and I moved to Pinecrest, where we’ve been for seven years.”
And so Elia Pinecrest is now preparing to move into its new home, in the University of Miami’s Calder Medical Library, at 1601 NW 10th Ave. It’s expected to open there in about two weeks. And in case you’re wondering: yes, there will be a second robot barista! It’s expected to arrive shortly after the opening.
Meanwhile that’s not all the news the Elia brand has in store: Harvalis says a third location is in the works near the Calder location. This one will feature a more typical Greek menu, featuring gyro sandwiches and other mainstays.
You can keep up with all things Elia Pinecrest by following @eliapinecrest on Instagram.
