Café Don Juan opens Puerto Rican coffee bar in Central Florida
ORLANDO, FL — In a cozy and modern location with an investment of $600,000 and 15 employees, Café Don Juan opened its first location in Florida, bringing this unique concept with coffee and all-day breakfast, as well an innovative menu inspired by Puerto Rican and international cuisine.
Axel Otero, co-owner, explained this place outside the island located in Winter Park, in Orlando comes to serve the growing Puerto Rican community as well to others that may not know about them, and bring the highest standards in the food quality and customer service for this diverse market.
And they strategically choose this location because of the demographic, “we were studying the market in Central Florida for three years and we knew it would be the perfect location to open our doors first and then move on to other places,” he said.
Café Don Juan arrives in Central Florida as the first purely Puerto Rican coffee bar, serving coffee grown in the mountains of “The Island of Enchantment,” with a successful history of serving and sharing “the culture of good coffee” in Puerto Rico with 10 years and seven stores in Puerto Rico.
The Winter Park location is located at 1100 South Orlando Avenue in City Place. The 1,800-square-foot store has a modern interior dining room, a comfortable open-air terrace, and ample parking. Café Don Juan will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“Here you will find in the dessert section, find that little piece that we miss, we have a varied menu that pleases everyone and the ‘pan sobao’ bread that we buy from Taino’s bakery for our sandwiches that people like a lot,” said Otero, managing partner.
Café Don Juan is the largest Puerto Rican chain of coffee shops on the island with establishments in several locations in the San Juan metropolitan area, such as Señorial Plaza, the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, Plaza Río Hondo, Plaza del Sol, Montemar Plaza and Santurce.
The chain has more than 80 employees. Café Don Juan offers its consumers an experience based on specialty coffee, combined with inspirational spaces that invite relaxation and cultivate the art of sharing, talking, and living the moment accompanied by the flavor and aroma of an exquisite cup of coffee.
“We want both them and their product to have the place they deserve in the world for producing quality coffee with an extraordinary flavor. Bringing it to Florida, such a demanding and diverse market, is a dream come true. We have no doubt that our product will be a worthy ambassador for Puerto Rico here,” added Otero.
And the best reward for Otero is “listening to other Puerto Ricans express how delighted they are to have almost the same experience as on the island. We want to keep serving Puerto Ricans who live here as well as [North] Americans, by presenting and impacting them with the culture of good coffee. It’s what we do.”
Juan Pablo Torres, barista, and founder of Café Don Juan said he is “excited about this new business adventure with Otero.”
“For us, this is something that begins with the careful and attentive cultivation of the grain by experienced coffee growers, the ideal roasting for each type of infusion, and diverse ways of preparing the perfect cup that range from the traditional café con leche, cortado, cappuccino, macchiato and more, without forgetting the refreshing cold coffee drinks,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ariana Ocaña, chef of the new shop, explained the variety of pastries and food options on the menu, that include familiar Puerto Rican sweets such as guava, cheese, and Nutella pastries, seasonal desserts, cookies, bread, and many options for breakfast and lunch.
This place offers Caribbean and European-influenced pastries, as well as an extensive menu of breakfasts prepared on the spot, original sandwiches, delicious salads, and creative dishes to please the most demanding palate.
Among the most popular coffee drinks at Café Don Juan are the coffee and almond overdose lemonade, as well as traditional lattes and cappuccinos. Among the dishes that distinguish the brand is the Don Piro, a Mallorca bread (soft and sweet), and the Turkey Deli that has bacon, avocado, onions, and cilantro mayo, as well as the chicken and waffles.
