The company’s Grand Avenue location is its largest yet, with a built-in gelato bar and a large banyan tree in the middle of the store
Recent University of Miami grads Nick Perciballi and Chris Dillmeier were leaving town in just a few days, but there was one last stop they wanted to make before flying home to New York – Pura Vida’s new location in Coconut Grove.
Perciballi and Dillmeier had visited the lifestyle cafe’s other locations, including the one on UM’s campus. Still, they agreed, the new location was worth a drive. “The one on campus is pretty small,” Dillmeier noted. “It’s awesome that this one is ginormous.”
Pura Vida Miami, an all-day cafe that has grown from a single South Beach location in 2012 into a food-and-wellness brand with multiple outlets in South Florida and New York, marked another milestone this month with the opening of its 34th location at 3034 Grand Avenue.
What sets it apart? For starters, the 6,000-square-foot store is the brand’s largest location. Pura Vida Grand Avenue also has a built-in gelato bar, marking the debut of the company’s new line of gelato with flavors like salted pistachio and chocolate hazelnut.
In addition to gelato, Pura Vida Grand Avenue offers all-day breakfast foods, salads, sandwiches and bowls that can be paired with specialty coffee, matcha, teas, smoothies and juices.
Aside from the food, the Grand Avenue location taps into Pura Vida’s wellness brand (health is happiness, the menu says) with an interior space that combines minimalist design, neutral tones and clean lines to create an upscale feel and cater to a younger crowd as an “Instagram-worthy” food spot.
“It’s like a high-end coffee shop,” said Perciballi.
The new location incorporates natural decor meant to resemble a Mediterranean grotto, with indoor and outdoor seating, 30-foot ceilings, natural stone and a large Banyan tree in the center of the interior.
Julia Sarama, another University of Miami student, decided Pura Vida Grand Avenue was the perfect spot to spend the day working on her medical school application before leaving Miami for the summer. “Everyone at our school loves Pura Vida,” she said. “They went next-level on this place. It’s stunning.”
Whether she needs a place to study or a post-workout treat, Sarama said the cafe’s ambiance always puts her in a good headspace. Being from out-of-state, this is her go-to spot to take friends and family who visit her while she’s at school. “If they’re visiting and want a taste of Miami, I feel like Pura Vida is such a staple,” she said.
For other Grove residents, Pura Vida contributes to the local cafe culture that creates a sense of community and encourages productivity. Twenty-nine-year-old Isabella Vega said she thinks a Coconut Grove location is a great addition to the neighborhood.
“I think it’ll definitely benefit the area and people my age who want to co-work and eat something healthy,” she said.
Vega enjoys coming to the cafe to sit outside and people watch, grab a quick lunch before Pilates or relax and enjoy the atmosphere. “I think it will attract a lot of people, especially people who don’t live in the area, but work here,” she said.
Founders Omer and Jennifer Horev have grown their health and lifestyle brand since the first Pura Vida opened in the South of Fifth neighborhood on the beach (read a profile of the couple here). The Spotlight asked to interview the couple for this story but was told they were not available to speak with a reporter.
Pura Vida Grand Avenue is open Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The gelato shop opens daily at 11 a.m.
