Key lime pie guy of Coconut Grove won’t have to sell dessert from his yard much longer
The Key lime pie guy of Coconut Grove has found a new home.
Josh Abril, who has been selling homemade Key lime pies in his front yard since 2020 as Fookem’s Fabulous, has signed a lease for a small, shared space on Grand Avenue in the West Grove.
Abril will share the space at 3606 Grand Ave. with the boutique Maya Hatcha, a piece of Grove history since 1968 that closed its original Grand Avenue shop in 2019.
Abril is thrilled with the news, even if there’s a lot of work to do before the space is ready (he’s hoping to open by the end of the year, maybe sooner). Being part of the Grove and keeping its funky spirit alive is important, he said, especially in the face of so many national brands arriving in Miami.
“West Grove is looking for a mom and pop Renaissance,” he said, taking a brief break from working in his tiny home kitchen. “Further down Grand, you have Shore to Door Fish Market, a real neighborhood treasure. I’m pretty excited.”
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Vivian Jordan, owner of Maya Hatcha, says her store is likely to open in a month or so, since she sells clothing, masks, jewelry and other artifacts that won’t require complications like a grease trap.
“It’s a joy,” she said. “I thought it was done if I didn’t stay in the Grove. I’ve been there so many years. And to find a spot on Grand Avenue! It’s my third spot on Grand Avenue. It was meant to be.”
Fookem’s will be takeout only; there are no tables or places to sit, but Abril plans to have a pie ventanita in addition to a counter. The price of a pie, originally $28, is rising slightly to $30, and he’s hoping to also sell coffee and Key lime slushies.
Abril will continue to supply pies to area restaurants like Barracuda Taphouse & Grill, Sandbar Sports Grill, Shore to Door and Botanico Gin & Cookhouse. Recently he started supplying Josh’s Premium Meats in South Miami with pies (a lot of pies, he confides). The new downtown Miami food hall Julie & Henry’s will feature a Fookem’s Fabulous vending machine when it opens later this spring.
Abril will continue to sell pies from the stand in his front yard until the new shop opens but admits he won’t be sorry to reclaim his house and kitchen.
“People say, ‘You’re going to lose a bit of the charm,’ but I’m also going to lose the mosquitoes and the rain in the summer,” he said.
FOOKEM’S FABULOUS
Where: 3081 Oak Ave., Miami; new location opening by the end of 2023 at 3606 Grand Ave.
Hours: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday-Monday
Price: $30 for full pie; $6-$7 for individual mini-pies
To order: www.fookemsfabulous.com or Door Dash; 305-699-2122
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