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Miami’s Coconut Grove is experiencing a surge in leasing momentum as retailers, restaurateurs, and developers continue to invest in one of the city’s most picturesque lifestyle destinations.
The newest dining concepts to take advantage of the Grove’s pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, vibrant commercial district, and local appeal are Krüs Kitchen, an imaginative virtual kitchen and marketplace, and Los Felix, an authentic taqueria and Molino. These eateries bring a world-renowned chef and well-respected hospitality group to the heart of Coconut Grove.
“Coconut Grove is one of Miami’s premier dining destinations with chef-driven restaurants, trendy culinary concepts, and innovative eateries situated throughout our business district,” said Ken Russell, Miami city commissioner and chair of the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District. “Krüs Kitchen is a pioneer in the world of virtual kitchens and is deeply rooted in sustainability and wholesome living, which perfectly aligns with the ethos of the Grove. We’re delighted to welcome Krüs Kitchen to the neighborhood and look forward to the opening of Los Felix, as we continue to give locals and visitors new reasons to rediscover Coconut Grove.”
Krüs Kitchen is a combined virtual kitchen and digital marketplace created by Grass Fed Culture Hospitality Group that offers satisfying, seasonal meals, home-made fare, and natural wines for delivery and take out. The company developed an application available for download in the app store that comes with a rewards program and allows customers to schedule orders for delivery within a six-mile radius and also for pickup.
With appetizers like coconut snapper ceviche and smoked wahoo; entrees that include heritage pork belly, swordfish, and grass-fed osso-buco; and plenty of vegan options like the charcoal roasted beets and grilled cauliflower, Krüs Kitchen prides itself on its superb quality proteins, wild caught, local seafood, and seasonal South Florida produce. Those interested in homemade staples including salad dressings, honey, ice cream, and more – along with a well curated selection of natural wines – can visit Krüs Kitchen’s digital marketplace on their website.
This spring, Krus Kitchen will expand to allow customers and visitors to physically shop Krus Kitchen’s seasonal market of homemade fare along with other local artisan goods directly from its second floor space while also growing its virtual presence. Krus Kitchen also publishes a bi-weekly newsletter delivering the latest Krus news, exclusive offers, and Miami insights.
The 3,500 square-foot, two story space also will feature a taqueria, Los Felix, slated to open in March. Set to serve traditional Mexican tacos, natural wine, homemade aguas frescas and more, Los Felix will act as a Molino — a traditional tortilla mill and factory — and will use ancient heirloom corn imported from Oaxaca, Mexico to produce its tortillas in-house.
Ownership trio, Josh and Pili Hackler and chef Sebastian Vargas, who together formed the Grass Fed Culture Hospitality Group in 2020, chose to open Krüs Kitchen in Coconut Grove amid the pandemic because of the neighborhood’s vibrant and worldly residential population, its charming, outdoor appeal, and because it was the ideal time to test a virtual kitchen concept in the market.
“As social distancing remains intact, the demand for fresh, high quality cuisine has not dwindled,” said Josh Hackler, co-founder of Krüs Kitchen and Grass Fed Culture Hospitality Group. “The pandemic has given us an opportunity to redefine takeout by refining the ingredients in simple, everyday dishes. Krüs Kitchen gives people an opportunity to enjoy nourishing meals, prepared by an acclaimed chef who’s worked in Michelin Star restaurants around the world, for under $25 — this sets us apart from any other restaurant in Miami.”
Krüs Kitchen is helmed by Colombian native Sebastian Vargas who has worked in the world’s leading restaurants over the past decade including the Michelin Star restaurants Osteria Francescana in Italy, Eleven Madison Park in New York, and Faviken Magasinet in Sweden. His love affair with the culinary world began while living in India, and his aim is to transform his elite experience into exceptional, high-quality cuisine that is well-priced and accessible to everyone.
“A superb meal derived from locally sourced ingredients, priced at a respectable rate can rarely be found on the menu anywhere, let alone at an establishment geared exclusively towards takeout and delivery,” Vargas said. “Our goal with Krüs Kitchen is to fill that void by bringing affordable, thoughtful foods and homemade products to Miami. We chose Coconut Grove because of its lively, bohemian spirit and its emphasis on health and wellbeing, which perfectly supports our mission to deliver creative, healthy, and sustainable meals to the communities we serve.”
By elevating takeout and delivery through seasonal, locally, and responsibly sourced ingredients that are packaged specifically for reheating in either compostable and/or 100 percent recyclable packaging, Krüs Kitchen aims to bring both quality and convenience to the table, while reinventing the way the world views takeout, which can regularly be considered an afterthought and made up of lesser-than-restaurant-quality cuisine.
“We want Krus to be a no-brainer place to shop for busy mothers, working families and students. A place that gives our customer the piece of mind by providing exactly how we would feed our families at home,” Pili Hackler said.
Krüs Kitchen currently is open for lunch and dinner.
The hospitality group donates a percentage of all sales to the Leto Campaign, a nonprofit organization Grassfed Culture Hospitality founded, to offer financial aid to single mothers who are employed in the restaurant industry.
