Welcome to the future: Grove Quarter Mile

Carlos and Carla Garcia Bring the Art to the Kitchen on Grand Avenue

At 3870 Grand Ave, Miami, FL 33133, a new vision is rising beneath the shade of a 386-year-old oak tree — a tree Carlos Garin calls a “real-life museum.”

The doors of Garin Art Caffe reopened in January 2026 with more than fresh paint and new recipes. What Carlos and Carla Garcia have launched is a cultural blueprint for Coconut Grove: Grove Quarter Mile, a cultural corridor, an ambitious fusion of art, cuisine, live music, and historic preservation designed to preserve the soul of Grand Avenue and its heritage.

“This is my dream,” says Carlos Garin, a Cuban-born actor, journalist, visual artist, and now chef-owner. “We don’t just serve food here. We serve culture.”

A Cafe Rooted in Heritage

Carlos is from Cuba. His wife, Carla Garcia, is an architect. Together, they purchased the land 17 years ago, preserving what stood before it — including a 135 years old majestic oak tree that anchors the property like a living monument.

Rather than erase history, Carla designed the building with deep respect for Coconut Grove’s Bahamian roots, blending traditional island architecture with subtle European influence. The result feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking — a place where wooden textures, open-air flow, and artistic detail create a bohemian sanctuary in the heart of Miami.

“We wanted to respect the community style,” Carlos explains. “Respect the history. Respect the roots.”

Bringing the Art to the Kitchen

Inside Garin Art Caffe, art isn’t just decoration — it’s identity. Carlos paints. He curates. He cooks.

The menu is unique, blending Cuban foundations with European and American influence. Everything is prepared fresh, often in front of guests, with care that borders on performance art.

Signature highlights include:

• The house burger, crafted with proprietary techniques and bold flavor layering
• A creamy mango-forward tropical ice cream creation with contrasting textures
• Lobster croquettes with explosive, unexpected flavor
• Fresh-baked breads, pizzas, sandwiches, and rotating pasta specials
• A wide selection of matcha blends and specialty coffees
• Craft cocktails and what Carlos confidently calls “the best mojito”

“We make everything with love,” he says. “From the bread to the dessert. Hot and cold. Crunch and cream. One, two, three textures. One, two, three, four flavors.”

Food here isn’t rushed. It’s composed.

The Oak Tree and the Museum House

Next door stands a very old historic house — one Carlos and Carla plan to restore as the first historical museum in the community. Once permits are cleared, the house will open as a cultural anchor, celebrating Coconut Grove’s Bahamian and multicultural legacy.

Behind it? A jazz space.

Live jazz on Friday and Saturday nights already fills the cafe courtyard. Soon, the museum garden will echo with saxophones and international musicians — including young jazz artists from Japan who have already begun collaborating with Carlos.

“This is America,” Carlos says. “Everybody together. Culture is the foundation. Without culture, a city has no soul.”

The Vision: Grove Quarter Mile

Carlos calls it “Grove Quarter Mile” — a reimagined stretch of Grand Avenue that will transform this block into a walkable arts corridor.

Plans include:

• The historic museum house
• A full art gallery featuring Carlos’ personal Garin Art collection
• Unique international pieces, including a collectible Mickey Mouse artwork
• Additional gallery space
• Future French and Italian restaurants
• A commercial creative hub
• A live art festival concept where artists paint in real time with juried competition

“This concept does not exist in Miami,” Carlos says. “We need a real art festival here. We need to defend culture.”

He references the loss of Coconut Grove Playhouse and warns against development without preservation. For him, growth must come with respect.

“You can build new buildings. It’s okay. But respect the history.”

A Cultural Crossroads

Miami today is booming — luxury towers, global investors, international attention. But Carlos believes something essential risks being forgotten.

“Miami wants to be a big city,” he says. “But the soul is in the roots. If we don’t show the roots, we have no soul.”

Coconut Grove is one of Miami’s oldest neighborhoods — one of the first settled areas in the city’s history. Carlos views Grove Quarter Mile not simply as a business venture, but as a legacy project.

The oak tree remains untouched. The house will be restored. The art will stay local and global at once.

“This is for the next generation,” he says. “They need to know the story.”

The Future on Grand Avenue

Open daily from 7 a.m., Garin Art Caffe welcomes parents after school drop-offs, longtime residents rediscovering their neighborhood, and new Miami arrivals searching for authenticity.

It feels intimate. It feels intentional. It feels like the beginning of something larger.

Within ten years, Carlos predicts, this block will be unrecognizable — not because it lost its identity, but because it found it.

Under the 386-year-old oak tree, with jazz in the air and paint still drying on fresh canvases, the future of Grand Avenue may already be taking shape.

Welcome to Grove Quarter Mile.