Flagler Beach coffee lovers have spent the last five years making this local café a part of their daily routine, whether for a hand-crafted latte, a fresh pastry or quick catch up with friends.
Now, the family-owned shop is bringing a similar experience just a few miles south with a new drive-thru-only location at 14 S. Yonge St, in Ormond Beach, offering a familiar menu of espresso beverages and baked goods in a format designed for customers on the go.
The expansion marks the next chapter for SunBros Café, a brand that has steadily built a loyal following along this stretch of coast.
Its original Flagler Beach location, nearly 4,000-square-feet in size, opened under the Sundell family, from Central Illinois, in 2021.
After two years in the making, the brand’s new Ormond Beach location, co-owned and operated by Abrien Sundell, opened for business earlier this month.
Why a drive-thru location?
“We had gone into (SunBros) with the mindset to expand, but it took a lot longer than we expected … Now that we’re in it, it’s definitely new and different than what we’ve been doing for the past five years. We’re still working out some of the kinks, experimenting with things and seeing what works best,” Sundell told The News-Journal.
“(Drive-thru models) are getting really popular, and it’s steadily growing — that type of concept,” he continued, noting the appeal lies in their efficiency, keeping operating costs manageable while delivering quality beverages at a faster pace.
“It just kind of balances convenience for people who want a good cup of coffee, but they’re on their way to work and maybe they don’t have 10-15 minutes to wait,” he said.
While the brand’s Flagler Beach café offers a full food menu, liquor bar and live music on Friday nights, the new Ormond Beach outpost packs the same coffeehouse experience into a footprint of less than 300-square-feet, with a streamlined menu highlighting the shop’s beverages and most popular pastries.
“We’re not baking here at all, because there’s not really any way for us to make that work with the space we have. So, we bake everything at the (Flagler) café and bring it over here, because we have a pretty good-sized kitchen over there,” Sundell said. “… The cinnamon rolls are my favorite, and the coffee cake just flies off the shelves.”
What’s on the menu at SunBros Coffee?
Despite the size difference between the two locations, SunBros’ consistency remains unchanged. Whether it’s a best-selling vanilla latte sweetened with house-made syrup, a fresh-baked apple fritter or savory breakfast sandwich tucked inside a warm bagel, the same attention to detail carries over to the brand’s new store.
“We really just try to focus on the quality,” Sundell said, noting SunBros sources its beans from Missouri-based Kaldi’s Coffee.
After taking many day trips to the St. Louis roastery while living in Central Illinois, Sundell says his family knew from the outset that its coffee would be a cornerstone of both the original Flagler Beach café and its new Ormond location.
“I went out to St. Louis with my mom, and we worked with them at the roastery and they trained us on how to do everything,” Sundell said. “… So, that’s kind of how I got into the whole coffee business, because it was just super neat — super interesting.”
Alongside classic drip coffee, iced mochas and matcha lattes, guests can enjoy caramel frappes, cold brew, cappuccinos, and hot teas, among other items. Alternative milk options, including almond and oat, are available.
With just a couple of weeks under his belt at the new location, Sundell said seeing cars fill the drive-thru each day still feels “surreal.”
“After so long of it being kind of in the works here, seeing it actually be open is crazy,” he continued. “… I just love seeing familiar faces here, and everyone has been really happy to see us get open.”
SunBros Coffee in Ormond Beach offers online ordering and is open from 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 386-506-8887 or visit sunbroscafe.com.
— Helena Perray is the food and dining reporter for The Daytona Beach News-Journal. She can be contacted at hperray@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Instagram, and support local journalism by subscribing
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Family-owned cafe expands with new drive-thru location in Ormond Beach
Reporting by Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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By Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
