{"id":99143,"date":"2025-12-29T20:13:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T20:13:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/99143\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T20:13:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T20:13:14","slug":"beloved-sunset-harbour-panther-coffee-forced-to-close-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/99143\/","title":{"rendered":"Beloved Sunset Harbour Panther Coffee Forced to Close in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

For more than a decade, Panther Coffee\u2019s Sunset Harbour outpost <\/a>has been one of those rare Miami places that felt like a true neighborhood anchor. The tables filled with freelancers and friends catching up, the familiar rotation of regulars stopping in for their morning cappuccino, the scent of freshly roasted beans drifting out onto Purdy Avenue; it all helped define the quiet, walkable pocket of Miami Beach long before it became one of the city\u2019s trendiest enclaves.<\/p>\n

Now, after 13 years, Panther Coffee <\/a>is closing the doors to its beloved Sunset Harbour location. According to its founders, Leticia and Joel Pollock, the decision wasn\u2019t made due to dwindling sales or a lack of support. Quite the opposite \u2014 the caf\u00e9 was thriving. The closure, they say, comes down to one thing: an untenable lease negotiation and a landlord unwilling to meet them halfway.<\/p>\n

\"\"A candid post reveals that Panther Coffee was forced to close by its landlord in Sunset Harbour<\/p>\n

Screenshot via Instagram\/@panthercoffee<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re Going Not by Choice and Not by Failure\u201d<\/p>\n

In a candid and emotional Instagram post,<\/a> Panther shared the news directly with its community.<\/p>\n

\u201cA bit of a long one. Forgive me if this comes off a little raw,\u201d the message begins. \u201cAfter 13 years, they\u2019re closing our doors at the #SunsetHarbour location. We did not want to leave, and we did all we could.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement explains that at one point, the shop\u2019s only option was to sign a new ten-year lease at what they describe as \u201cthe highest rate ever for the area,\u201d a price they say the small business simply could not afford. They wrote that efforts to negotiate were unsuccessful.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough we were still searching for creative ways to make it work, we recently received an official notice that the landlord will not renew our lease,\u201d the post continues. \u201cIn the same email, they already asked us to allow a new tenant to come take measurements (!). Just like that, it\u2019s game over for our time in Sunset Harbour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Panther confirmed that its last day of service at 1875 Purdy Ave. will be February 28. The team emphasized that the closure is \u201cnot by choice and not by failure,\u201d adding, \u201cAs someone said at the shop last week: \u2018We\u2019re being dumped.\u2019 It sucks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staff from the Sunset Harbour location will have the option to relocate to other Panther caf\u00e9s in the Miami area.<\/p>\n

\"lattesPanther Coffee is one of the best original Miami coffeehouses in town to lock in and focus<\/p>\n

From Cold-Brew Bicycle to Miami Coffee Icon<\/p>\n

For founders Joel and Leticia Pollock, closing a store is uncharted territory. \u201cJoel, myself, and the Panther team have never closed a location in the 15 years we\u2019ve worked together,\u201d the post reads, noting that one early lesson stands out: \u201cBe choosy when it comes to a landlord. The role it plays in a small business\u2019s longevity cannot be understated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Panther Coffee is widely credited with ushering in Miami\u2019s modern craft coffee movement i<\/a>n 2010. Before the Wynwood flagship became a pilgrimage site for caffeine lovers, the Pollocks were roasting beans and introducing locals to cold brew from a bicycle at food truck gatherings. Their carefully sourced beans, from Nicaragua, Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and beyond, helped change how Miami drinks coffee, expanding the city\u2019s palate beyond cafecitos while still honoring the culture of daily ritual.<\/p>\n

Panther has won nearly ten New Times \u201cBest Of\u201d awards, including its most recent in 2022<\/a>. This year, it was named\u00a0among the best coffee shops in the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Over the years, Panther\u2019s Sunset Harbour shop became more than a caf\u00e9. It was a morning checkpoint, a remote workspace, a first-date spot, a post-beach refuel, and, for many, a steady constant in a neighborhood that has transformed rapidly around it.<\/p>\n

\"\"Panther Coffee stands as Miami\u2019s first coffee roaster.<\/p>\n

Photo by billwisserphoto.com<\/p>\n

A Farewell Filled With Gratitude \u2014 and One Last Cup<\/p>\n

Longtime customers immediately filled the comments on the shop\u2019s Instagram post, with comments ranging from, \u201cThis is so heartbreaking. Thank you for all the years filling my cup when I lived in 1900 Purdy Ave,\u201d and \u201cI made so many memories working here, with the best team! So disheartening, but I know that Panther will still thrive! Love ya\u2019ll!\u201d to \u201cThis breaks my heart. I remember 13 years ago when you all labored long and hard to get the location open. It was a very special time, almost magical. And it was part of my mornings. It has been part of my morning for the last 13 years. Gone are Sardinia, Nayiara, Ice Box Cafe, Stiltsville, and now Panther Sunset Harbour. Three of those spots are still vacant, and all due to a greedy landlord with no vision for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the neighborhood heartbreak, Panther Coffee remains hopeful.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe remain grateful. We\u2019ll learn what we\u2019re ready to learn, carry the memories, and move forward contentedly, knowing we have enough. So come get some coffee and remember the good times at 1875 Purdy while it lasts. Thank you to the wonderful guests we love and shared so many moments over the last 13 years in Sunset Harbour.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Miami Beach, it marks more than the loss of a coffee shop. It serves as a poignant reminder of how fragile even the most beloved neighborhood spaces can be, and how deeply they matter when they\u2019re gone.<\/p>\n

Panther Coffee Sunset Harbour. 1875 Purdy Ave., Miami Beach; 305-677-3952; panthercoffee.com<\/a>. Closing February 28, 2026.<\/p>\n