Today we’d like to introduce you to Dimitris Harvalis.
Hi Dimitris , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I opened my first Elia cafe back in 2012 in downtown Miami across from the Miami Heat arena back when the area was still new, we had a great 6 years run (3 years at marina blue building and 3 years at 900 Biscayne blvd ) but after construction started in the area things became difficult and we had to relocate to a new opportunity to the city of Pinecrest where we had also a great run for 7 years! In the mean time our brand had ventured in other markets as well such as meal plan service and a small market / commercial kitchen located in the outskirts of Wynwood that was there for 10 years.
4 years ago while operating in Pinecrest we were given an opportunity to operate a location at the Alumni center of UM (where we still operate) and last year we relocated our Pinecrest location to the health district (Louis Calder Library ) in downtown (part of UM as well)
We are a healthy Greek-Mediterranean cafe offering freshly made sandwiches/salads and much more. We have survived many ups and downs due to our resilience and knowledge of the business as well the following we have created over the years. The story can be much more detailed but I will need a book lol
Over the year we have had lots of celebrities that have visited our locations and we have also cooked for big events along the way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Everyone knows our business is one of the hardest to build and keep running successfully, from prices rising of cost of goods, rents skyrocketing in the Miami area and the pandemic the challenges have been like climbing mountain Olympus but we have been able to stand resilient and still operate 2 locations after many challenges.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As the chef and owner of the business I take a lot of pride in the product that we serve our guests as well as the experience we provide to them. I make sure I hand select all the ingredients and products we cook in our kitchen. We are known for the freshness and consistency of our food and service.
I’m very proud that I have been able to sustain the adversities that the business brings to the table and to have survived all that and still keep going strong.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love how Miami brings people from all over the world together and creates this big melting pot of ethnicities and cultures.
I dislike how the market has become saturated by people that think opening and operating a restaurant is easy. It’s creates confusion for guests and causes a lot small mom and pop businesses to suffer , small businesses that have given everything they have to survive to give in to the rising rents caused by all the outsiders coming in with illusions of making it big in Miami just because they have a few extra dollars to spent.
Contact Info:
- Website: Eliapinecrest@gmail.com
- Instagram: @eliapinecrest
- Facebook: Elia Pinecrest
