CAFE MOKA REOPENS IN TAVERNIER

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE ‘NEW’ NEIGHBORHOOD COFFEE SHOP

Tavernier’s beloved neighborhood coffee shop, Cafe Moka, reopened after moving buildings and months of renovations. Owners Pierre Marc and Alexandra Bellion sat down with the Weekly to share the inspiration behind their new, beautiful cafe.

“We officially opened (March 24). It feels amazing. We waited nine months for this,” said Pierre Marc. “Someone knocked on the door before we opened, and it was one of our best friends, who wanted to be our first customer. Alex opened the door, and he told her to look: the line was down the street already, and she started crying.”

“I’m super happy. It’s overpassing my expectations,” Alexandra added. “It’s all our locals who had been here before. It’s nice to be part of the community and to receive so much love back.”

Coffee culture

The Bellions have been coming to the Keys since 1991. In 2008, they officially moved here from the south of France, and in 2011, the original Cafe Moka was born, just a few buildings up from where the current cafe sits.

With its European vibe, delicious pastries and couture coffee, it was a mainstay in the Upper Keys community until it closed in mid-2022. This is due, in no small part, to the Bellions’ conviction about the importance of places like Moka.

“We always say that a coffee shop is the most elegant way to have a fancy culinary experience,” Pierre Marc explained. “If you want to have the best culinary experience in Paris, it’s expensive. But, espresso and espresso drinks are very sophisticated drinks done with care. They’re very elegant – and only a few dollars. That’s what a coffee shop is all about. We want to have you have that moment – something elegant, but affordable.”

The ‘new’ Cafe Moka

“The building is what inspires us. It is very Keysey, very historical,” said Pierre Marc.

Fittingly, the historic structure served as a community hub long before it came to house Tavernier’s favorite coffee roasts. Originally built as a church in 1890, it was destroyed, then rebuilt, after the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, an Orlando Sentinel article from June 1984 details. It then became a Masonic Lodge, a community center, a real estate office and the old Free Press building. It has seen everything from cub scouts to blood drives, piano lessons to weddings.

“It’s been a million things, but it was always a community place,” Pierre Marc said. “The building wants to be here, in this community. It’s fighting to exist.”

The Bellions purchased the abandoned building in May 2021 and began breathing new life into the old space. They didn’t change anything on the exterior.

Inside, they refined and reimagined the space. There’s a beautiful sitting corner with pink stork wallpaper, tropical wicker pendant lights, teal accent walls and gold accents throughout. A side garden is surrounded by tropical plants for a perfect “secret garden” nook. The back porch is fully enclosed and decked out with bright yellow umbrellas and small succulents.

“This is our building,” said Pierre Marc. “When we did the other one, we were new to the Keys. It was Hemingway style – with dark floors and black and white pictures. Now, we feel rooted here. We have a better vision of what we want to do, so we went brighter and whiter.”

“More Conch Florida,” Alexandra added.

Some changes

Along with the new location, the Bellions streamlined their menu and the overall experience. They want the ordering-to-enjoying process to go smoother and faster. “Every decision we make is about a better experience,” Pierre Marc said.

Food orders are no longer customizable at the counter – because those were creating long lines and stress. “You can order that on our app (Clover) now,” Alexandra said. “We’re trying to push that for our locals. On the app, we can accommodate your requests. You order and pay on the app, and your food will be ready for you on the shelf when you come in.”

This new high-tech solution works well for the high schoolers and workers who have short lunch breaks, she noted. Customers are welcome to order on the app to customize and/or skip the wait but still enjoy their meal at the cafe.

Don’t worry: they still have avocado toast, acai bowls, quiches, pastries and coffee – all made fresh on site. And their world-famous almond croissant isn’t going anywhere. The recipe came from France’s best pastry chef, and this delight remains Moka’s best seller.

Same heart

One thing that will never change is the heart with which the Bellions roast, brew, bake and serve – and their reasons for doing so. “A coffee shop is the center of the community. It’s where you go, apart from work and home – your third place,” explained Pierre Marc. “When it was gone, people were missing it, like they were missing part of their home. That’s why it’s so great to be back.”