Fat focaccia sandwiches and excellent brews – meet Miami’s new neighbourhood cafe, ACE’S Coffee
Sometimes the best cafes aren’t the ones trying to do everything. They’re the ones that pick a lane and then commit, completely, to doing the best version of it. That’s the philosophy behind ACE’S Coffee, the new neighbourhood cafe that’s settled into Miami One Shopping Centre, serving stuffed focaccia sandwiches and excellent coffee with a refreshingly minimalist approach.
ACE’S Coffee might be the new kid on the block, but its owners are anything but. The striking, fire-engine-red cafe is the handiwork of Jesse and Lynsey, who are no strangers to hospitality. Long-time coffee lovers may recognise Jesse as the founder of Mermaid Beach favourite Skull & Bones Espresso Boutique, which he sold in 2017 before the pair stepped away from hospitality to focus on family and life beyond the industry.
It was Lynsey, however, who started planting the seeds for a return. Jesse wasn’t entirely convinced until the pair were having lunch at the sushi shop next door and noticed the tenancy formerly occupied by Well Bread & Pastry sitting empty. With the light rail nearing completion and the highway-fronting location impossible to ignore, they agreed the site had serious potential.
“Straight away, Jesse just said, ‘Make the call,'” Lynsey said, and a month later, they had the keys. While the bones of the space remain, the previous green palette has made way for bold red accents and a fresh new identity. The pair knew from the outset exactly what they wanted ACE’S to be, and perhaps more importantly, what they didn’t want it to be.
The pair had no intention of recreating the past, so bagels are off the table. “We’ve done the bagel thing,” Jesse laughs.
“Jesse and I have always been about keeping everything simple with really good ingredients,” Lynsey says of their new, intentionally concise menu.
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You’ll find four signature focaccia sandwiches, each served on Burleigh Baker focaccia and available as a full or half. Choose from mortadella layered with whipped ricotta, pesto, rocket and hot honey, a classic egg sandwich with Kewpie mayo, lettuce and whole egg, a chicken sandwich with lettuce and dill mayo, or a caprese stacked with chunky heirloom tomatoes, whipped ricotta, basil pesto and balsamic.
The drinks menu follows a similarly restrained approach. Coffee Supreme keeps the espresso crowd sufficiently caffeinated, while matcha, chai, cold brew and iced coffees round out the offering. For those after something a little more indulgent, the signature Ace’s Campfire combines LP’s smoked maple syrup, shaved milk chocolate and smoked salt beneath a cloud of cold foam. Butterboy cookies, Portuguese tarts and cinnamon scrolls complete the cabinet.
For Jesse and Lynsey, however, ACE’S was never just about opening another cafe. After years away from the industry, they were looking for something more personal – a return to the kind of hospitality that revolves around people. The kind of place where they could spend their days doing what they love, getting to know the regulars by name and coffee order and creating a neighbourhood cafe where community is every bit as important as the caffeine.
ACE’S Coffee is now open at Miami One Shopping Centre. Head to The Directory for opening times.
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