A wave of new restaurant openings and expansions is taking shape in South Florida, with permits and announcements filed this week with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, targeting Hialeah, Doral, Kendall, and other areas in the Miami metropolitan area.
One that may interest the Hispanic community in the region is Vanilla Espresso French Cafe, a French-style café that is preparing its third location in the Amelia District of Hialeah, at 7450 W 4th Ave, Suite 101.
The brand is already operating in Miami Lakes and Miramar, and its menu features espressos, artisan pastries, crepes, eggs Benedict, quiches, and croissants, along with lunch dishes such as escargot, salmon, and duck breast, as well as desserts like macarons, éclairs, and crème brûlée. An opening date has not been announced.
The new location will be situated within the Amelia District, a mixed-use development driven by Prestige Companies that integrates around 800 residential units and 18,000 square feet of commercial space around Amelia Earhart Park, in an area undergoing a commercial revitalization process. Hialeah also launched a program for free storefronts for one year in May to attract small businesses.
In Doral and Kendall, the highlight is Sicilian Oven, a Sicilian pizzeria chain featuring wood-fired cooking, founded nearly 20 years ago and currently with 10 locations in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
The company announced three new openings in South Florida: Doral Square (8700 NW 36th St, first quarter of 2027), Kendall (11800 Mills Dr, first quarter of 2028), and Boynton Beach (1800 N. Congress Ave, second or third quarter of 2027). The locations in Doral and Kendall will mark the brand's first foray into Miami-Dade.
The expansion is backed by a strategic investment from the private equity firm Goode Partners, which enables the chain to move from opening one or two locations per year to negotiating several contracts simultaneously.
"We are very excited about the opportunity to expand the Sicilian Oven brand into new markets in South Florida," stated co-founders Ralph Disalvo and Andrew Garavuso, who emphasized their commitment to "authentic Sicilian specialties, wood-fired cooking, and a neighborhood atmosphere."
Other openings on the way complete the picture. Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen, founded in 2019 in Wynwood by the Jamaican couple Rodrick Leighton and Dr. Shrusan Gray, is preparing two new concepts in Sunrise: Dukunoo Blue Restaurant and Dukunoo Blue Coffee Bar, in the 6,375-square-foot space that was formerly occupied by the Argentine restaurant The Knife next to Sawgrass Mills Mall. The company has already posted job listings.
The Spanish chain 100 Montaditos (Restalia), which already has locations in Calle Ocho, Doral, Miami Lakes, and other areas, is processing a new location at 1935 Hollywood Blvd, in Hollywood, with no confirmed opening date.
Whit’s Frozen Custard, an Ohio-based chain founded in 2003, will open its first location in Miami at Downtown Dadeland (8845 SW 72nd Pl) in the spring of 2027. It will be operated by Eleven O1, L.P., which plans to add about 10 locations in South Florida over the next five to six years.
Bets arrive at a challenging time for the sector: immigration raids have plunged sales by up to 4.5% in areas with high Hispanic density such as Miami and Doral, where merchants report empty stores and significant income losses due to the fear of immigration operations, which disrupt consumption and the operations of small businesses.
The announced openings mostly represent medium- and long-term investments, rather than immediate launches.
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