Sunshine Coffee Opens Flagship Café at Esmé Hotel in Miami Beach

Source: Sunshine Coffee

Reported By: Caroline Dalal

Miami Beach has a new reason to wake up smiling. On September 18, Sunshine Coffee officially opened its flagship shop at the historic Esmé Hotel on Española Way, marking a milestone for the family-owned brand that has quickly become a local favorite. Known for its “Miami Iced” coffees, playful matcha creations, and whimsical breakfast and lunch staples, Sunshine Coffee is stepping into its first permanent home after winning over fans across the city through a series of buzzed-about pop-ups.

The brand first made its mark during Art Basel 2024 at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden before hosting a second pop-up at Reserve Padel’s Seaplane Base. These appearances earned Sunshine Coffee a devoted following, thanks to its signature iced drinks and welcoming hospitality. Now, with the launch of its flagship café, locals and visitors alike can finally enjoy the full Sunshine Coffee experience in a space designed to capture Miami’s creativity and warmth.

Behind the café are husband-and-wife duo Alan Philips and Gelareh Mizrahi. Philips, a marketing and hospitality innovator with decades of experience building global brands, brings his entrepreneurial expertise and passion for community. Mizrahi, an acclaimed fashion designer whose whimsical handbags have been sold at Barneys, Selfridges, and Kith and worn by Taylor Swift, Kylie Jenner, and Hailey Bieber, contributes her artistic vision. Together, they created Sunshine Coffee as an extension of their family, naming it after their daughter, Sunshine, and infusing it with positivity, artistry, and love for their hometown.

Mizrahi adds, “We designed Sunshine Coffee to be an extension of our home, full of beautiful objects, love, and magic, that is only possible in Miami.”

The café’s design mirrors the brand’s ethos of optimism and creativity. Pastel yellow walls, white marble counters, and a deep blue arched portal reminiscent of an ocean dive set the tone. A mural bearing the motto “See the Good in All Things” captures the spirit of Sunshine Coffee, while custom sculptural furniture by Mizrahi completes the space. It’s a setting that feels like a destination as much as a café.

At the heart of the menu is the Miami Iced, a cold espresso-based coffee with foam perfected by Philips over nearly a decade. It has become a local obsession thanks to inventive variations featuring flavored foams and milks such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch Milk, Chocolate Chip Cookie Oat Milk, Banana Milk, and Pink Vanilla Cold Foam.

The matcha offerings are just as creative, with drinks like the Miami Iced Matcha Latte, Strawberry Flower Matcha Latte, and Watermelon Matcha Lemonade. These ceremonial-grade matchas are joined by smoothies and teas with fresh, Miami-inspired flavors. Highlights include the Morning Margarita, blending pineapple, avocado, basil, lime, and milk, and the Super Fantastic, a nutrient-packed combination of blue spirulina, almond butter, Greek yogurt, tahini, honey, dates, and milk. For something truly original, The Little Miracle blends cold brew with tahini and oat milk into a frozen treat.

Coffee beans are roasted locally in Miami Gardens by Sunshine’s head roaster, Salomon Moreno, whose expertise stems from a lifetime of experience in Venezuelan coffee farming. This local sourcing deepens the café’s ties to Miami while ensuring quality in every cup.

Food offerings extend Sunshine Coffee’s creativity to the plate, with twists on morning and midday favorites. Standouts include:

• Pancake Cake: a layered buttermilk pancake cake topped with honey butter
  

• Brown Butter Focaccia Cinnamon Rolls: a reimagined breakfast pastry with airy Italian dough
  

• The Sunshine Breakfast Sando: eggs, thick-cut bacon, and cheddar on a fresh-baked English muffin
  

• Japanese Egg Salad: soft-boiled eggs with Kewpie mayo on toasted muffin
  

• Spicy Tuna Toast: ahi tuna and avocado served on English muffin
  

• Caviar Toast: salmon roe, cream cheese, and lemon zest
  

• Shakshuka Breakfast Tacos: spicy tomato scramble with Persian feta and pickled onions
  

• Sunshine Chopped Bagel: cream cheese mixed with smoked salmon, avocado, cucumber, red onion, dill, and served on an Essa everything bagel
  

• The Sunshine Chopped Salad: gem lettuce topped with cucumbers, chickpeas, chili drops, and protein of choice, finished with lemon vinaigrette

While the flagship shop anchors the brand in Miami Beach, this is just the beginning. Sunshine Coffee plans to expand with four to five new locations in the next year, furthering its mission to share creativity, positivity, and iced coffee across the city.