Cuban coffee is a staple for most Miamians – whether it's in the morning with a tostada, or half way through the day as an afternoon pick-me-up. Cafecito, as it is affectionately called, is something every local can appreciate. The citywide tradition now has an official time: 3:05, of course. The creative minds behind JLPR have not only campaigned to make this the official cafecito time of Miami, but this Saturday they are hosting a whole celebration dedicated to cafecito time, as well as being presented with an official proclamation from the City of Miami. “We run on Miami's sweet nectar, 3:05 Cafecito,” said JennyLee Molina, Chief Creative Officer at JLPR. A quick chat with Molina shows just how deep the cafecito culture runs in Miami:
How exactly did the 3:05 cafecito break idea come to fruition?
The idea came to me on April 3rd, 2012. I had a meeting with Amin De Jesus, Suenalo's MC who is also one of my go-to creatives and just as 305-centric as I am. After lunching on Lincoln Road, we walked over to David's Cafe on Meridian (RIP) and ordered a cafecito. When I looked at the time, it was exactly 3:05 and the light bulb went off! I took a picture of my Miami nectar and tweeted it with #305cafecito and proclaimed 3:05 as Miami's new official cafecito break. Soon friends caught on and the novel hashtag evolved into a Facebook fan page and Twitter account. With little promotion except word-of-mouth, it has become a movement celebrated not only in Miami but by former Miamians in other cities as well!
The idea came about to unify the Cuban coffee culture and create and on-line community that would enjoy sharing this mutual love for Miami's nectar. You don't need to be Cuban to enjoy it or even from Miami but Cuban coffee drinkers understand the culture. The window of a Cuban restaurant is the original social network. It is where, on any hot afternoon, you might find a relative, an old friend, the Mayor of Miami or Dwayne Wade. Sharing a coloda is an act of friendship and solidarity. What is Miami without cafecito?
Because we are a proud city that loves cafecito, we feel it is appropriate that 3:05 be proclaimed Miami’s Official Cafecito Break Time. All over Miami, Cuban Cafecito time is catching on! So Miami, let’s kick that “2:30 feeling” at 3:05!
Who would be your favorite person to take a cafecito break with?
I would love to have cafecito with Oprah. I really admire her and her successful career. If I had a second choice, I'd love to have coffee with Scott Harrison, the founder of charity: water - I also admire what he's contributed to the world.
You are going to be giving out some great 3:05 cafecito swag at the event. How can someone grab some of it apart from the event?
We will have an e-store soon which is very exciting! There is a growing demand outside of Miami for 3:05 Cafecito merchandise like our shirts and tacitas and we want to make sure it accessible to everyone. There will also be great giveaways via Twitter every 20 minutes from our partners such as Santayana Jewelers, Sweat Records, Spoken Soul Festival, The Standard and Soul of Miami (just to name a few) to keep the on-line fun going. We have over 25 awesome giveaways!
RSVP to the free event taking place today at CubaOcho Art & Research Center, starting at 2 pm.
