New restaurant: Coffee shop, espresso bar opens in Vero Beach

Laurie K. Blandford, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read

Two childhood friends and Vero Beach natives have opened a new coffee shop and cafe in Indian River County.

Chris Foster and Brandy Buckner opened Sweet Desires Espresso Bar in the Miracle Mile Plaza in Vero Beach.

Foster runs the bakery side of the business with partner Josh McMiller while Buckner runs the coffee side.

“We’re actually kind of like two companies working in one space,” Foster said.

Sweet Desires Espresso Bar opened June 2, 2023, in the Miracle Mile Plaza in Vero Beach. Its menu features an orange loaf with an almond glaze.
Sweet Desires Espresso Bar opened June 2, 2023, in the Miracle Mile Plaza in Vero Beach. Its menu features an orange loaf with an almond glaze.

Foster knew Buckner since they were kids, and they reconnected later in life.

He had moved to New York City to work in design and entertainment and toyed with the idea of a bakery while she had started the process of opening a dessert lounge in Vero Beach.

They decided to combine their ideas to open a mindful and conscious business with elevated pastries, such as its popular quiche, macarons and pistachio-tart cherry balls.

“We wanted to create what we have in the city,” Foster said. “We just wanted this place to create a unique experience.”

Sweet Desires Espresso Bar opened June 2, 2023, in the Miracle Mile Plaza in Vero Beach. It uses Niccolo Coffee, which is roasted in Australia.
Sweet Desires Espresso Bar opened June 2, 2023, in the Miracle Mile Plaza in Vero Beach. It uses Niccolo Coffee, which is roasted in Australia.

Foster, a self-proclaimed “coffee snob,” traveled the world and found the best coffee in New York City, drinking Niccolo Coffee for 12 years. The coffee is roasted in Australia and received within a week of its roast date. It’s always fresh-ground and brewed in-house using a La Marzocco high-end espresso coffee machine.

Instead of one origin, Niccolo Coffee has five origins, combining beans from Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Timor and India. It’s a smooth, medium roast with a flavor that’s fuller than a typical blend and without the heaviness of a common roast.

“We really focus on the coffee,” Foster said. “We try to promote just the coffee without flavor.”

Sweet Desires Espresso Bar opened June 2, 2023, in the Miracle Mile Plaza in Vero Beach. Its menu features quiche.
Sweet Desires Espresso Bar opened June 2, 2023, in the Miracle Mile Plaza in Vero Beach. Its menu features quiche.

Still, they get most of their flavoring syrups imported from France.

They even sent their head barista to be trained at a SoHo coffee house before they opened Sweet Desires.

The lattes and cappuccinos have been so popular, Foster said, the new business has served nearly 6,000 customers since their June 2 opening. They said they’ve never tasted coffee like this.

“We wanted to give our customers a real barista experience,” Foster said, “and the community loves it.”

Sweet Desires Espresso Bar

Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter and columnist dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Follow her on Twitter @TCPalmLaurie and Facebook @TCPalmLaurie. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: New restaurant: Sweet Desires Espresso Bar coffee shop in Vero Beach