Twenty seven year-old co-founder David Benjamin (left) and employee, Andrew Weimer, junior accounting major, (right) take a student’s order on Monday at Weekday’s memory mall location. Coffee syrups were made in-house for the first day of UCF’s fall semester.
Cassandra Joseph
A new local coffee shop opened by two former UCF students replaces the previous Starbucks location on Memory Mall.
Weekday Coffee and Matcha opened Aug. 24, the first day of the Fall semester, greeting students back to school.
“We have world-class options in our city, and we didn’t feel that was being fully represented,” cofounder Ricky Bravo, 30, said.
Bravo said since UCF is one of the nation’s largest universities, he wanted to provide a place that exceeded expectations.
“I think we just got a really good pulse on what people want because we’ve lived it,” cofounder David Benjamin, 27, said.
UCF alum Benjamin worked on staff at the university after graduating, serving as a project manager for four years, when he saw an abandoned kiosk by UCF’s reflection pond where Topper’s Craft Creamery was previously located.
Benjamin said he reminisced about his experiences at the ice cream kiosk as a student and wanted to give similar experiences using coffee.
Benjamin, a former integrated business major, had little experience with coffee so he called his former UCF roommate Bravo, who had about 10 years of coffee experience.
Bravo said his college life consisted of regular coffee shop visits which he still does with his family today.
After graduating in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in sports and exercise science at 20 years old, Bravo said he gave himself two options: get into a graduate program or go into coffee to give something back to his community. Bravo was soon led to begin volunteering as a dishwasher at nonprofit coffee shop, DUO58.
Bravo began moving forward in his goals, getting promotions and learning specialty coffees, becoming what Benjamin said is a person who is a “master of his craft.”
“I know this little kiosk thing is crazy, but I think what would be even cooler is if they gave us the Starbucks on memory mall one day,” Benjamin said to his cofounder Bravo a few months ago.
After almost claiming the former Topper’s Craft Creamery location, without their prompting, Bravo and Benjamin were offered Starbucks on UCF’s memory mall by UCF director of food and beverage.
Senior psychology major Elyse Dattilo said she was an “avid memory mall Starbucks goer.”
“At first, I was a little nervous to be honest because it was my place, so I was a little territorial,” Dattilo said.
Dattilo ended up staying at Weekday Coffee and Matcha for over an hour on Monday.
Dattilo said the atmosphere was more “sociable” rather than “dark and studious,” feeling different from other places on campus.
“It feels like what you want from a coffee shop,” Dattilo said.
UCF alum Bravo said he has been worldwide, from places like New York and Tokyo, and reflected parts of each place in his design of the coffee shop.
Weekday offers light-colored flooring and walls along with various seating options like couches or small and long study tables.
“The ambiance is just as important as a drink,” Bravo said. “You maybe come in for the product, and you stay because of the ambiance, or vice versa.”
With Orlando having a plethora of what Bravo described as “beautiful designs” for its coffee shops, Bravo said he wanted to contribute to that and allow UCF to be a part of what the local coffee community has to offer.
On Monday, students complete classwork at Weekday Coffee and Matcha on memory mall. “It’s way more calming and relaxing, and it seems like a place I can see myself being comfortable studying in or bringing my friends,” said junior psychology major Spurthi Nrusimhadevara.
Cassandra Joseph
Spurthi Nrusimhadevara, junior psychology major, said she and her friends were applauding the “comfortable” space and were excited that Weekday was started by UCF alumni who made the drinks “more creative.”
Both traditional and unique flavors are available on Weekday’s menu, like vanilla and golden shoyu, for their matcha and coffees, as well as a spread of baked goods.
Syrups were made in-house and the coffee beans come from a farm owned by another UCF alum in Honduras. The cofounders said they wanted students and faculty to “feel proud” about what they pay for and the community they are giving to.
“I can definitely see myself coming here to study and stuff later on,” Nrusimhadevara said.
The cofounders said their experience and love for UCF helped them tailor to students and faculty so Weekday would be part of a “daily rhythm.” The name reflects the purpose and makes it “specifically for UCF by UCF.”
Benjamin and Bravo said they had gotten help from other coffee shops like Blank Street and Lineage to enhance product, design and make Weekday a place “rooted in community.”
“I was seeing all the orientation groups come around or people getting tours, and I just had this thought of one day, Weekday will be a part of that tour, and they’ll be able to share the story of Weekday because the story of Weekday is a story of UCF’s investment in its students,” Bravo said. “We wouldn’t be here without our UCF experience, and we want to showcase what is possible and bring that back to our campus.”
Benjamin said a complete grand opening celebration will be taking place on Sept. 14.