Ophelia, the Coconut Grove bakery-café founded by husband-and-wife chefs Ana De Sa Martins and Juan Vieira, is expanding to Fort Lauderdale. The pair plan to open their first Broward County location along the city's New River in fall 2026, extending a concept that grew from a mobile bakery into a Coconut Grove anchor.
The mobile-to-brick-and-mortar arc that shaped Ophelia's early years is part of what defined it: De Sa Martins and Vieira built a following around scratch pastry and specialty coffee before committing to a permanent address in the Grove. The Fort Lauderdale opening is the first time the couple have moved the concept beyond Miami-Dade County.
Their combined kitchen résumé is specific. The duo trained at Stubborn Seed, Jeremy Ford's Michelin Guide–recognized tasting-menu restaurant in Miami Beach; The Surf Club Restaurant, the Thomas Keller–operated dining room at the Four Seasons Surfside; and Patisserie Chanson, the New York pastry concept with a Miami presence. The Patisserie Chanson credit maps most directly to what Ophelia delivers: scratch pastry at the center of the menu, with specialty coffee and a breakfast-and-lunch format built around it rather than appended to it.
The operator announced the expansion via Instagram, naming the New River as the location and fall 2026 as the target. A street address, seat count, and build-out details have not been released publicly. The announcement described the Fort Lauderdale spot as Ophelia's first Broward location — not as the opening move of a broader multi-unit expansion.
The New River corridor has drawn a range of independent operators in recent years, though the stretch has historically skewed toward dinner-forward and cocktail-centric programming. A daytime concept anchored in scratch pastry and morning coffee would occupy a less contested part of that mix — if De Sa Martins and Vieira hold to the format that built their Grove following. Whether they adapt the program for the new market has not been stated.
Fall 2026 remains the announced window. A confirmed address and further details are expected ahead of opening.
