Rise up
ANA DE SA MARTINS & JUAN VIEIRA • Ophelia
WORK • Thursday Routine
ANA DE SA MARTINS & JUAN VIEIRA • co-founders • Ophelia
Neighborhood you work in: Allapattah & Coconut Grove
Neighborhood you live in: Little Havana
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Our day starts at 345a. We wake up, shower, have an espresso and then we’re off to our commissary kitchen in Allapattah, where we spend the next two and a half hours proofing, baking, and finishing our baked goods, before heading to our RV bakery in Coconut Grove. At 4a, the streets are empty, and it feels like we have the city to ourselves.
Our menu’s filled with pastries, breakfast sandwiches, cookies, and coffee. The bakery opens at 8a, and there’s usually a line before we open. I spend some time at the register before heading back to the kitchen to prepare for the following day, while Juan stays at the Ophelia until closing to make sure operations run smoothly.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Juan meets me back at the commissary kitchen around 2p, and together we finish any final production needed for the weekend. We’re back home around 4 or 5p and work continues — it actually never ends! Ophelia is only five months old, but we’re planning our next steps for the future. Over dinner, we’ll discuss the design of our second trailer, invitations for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and ideas for our holiday menu. Bedtime is 8p sharp.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Right now, Sunday is our only day off, and we really look forward to it. Sunday mornings are for trying a new breakfast spot/bakery or going back to the ones we love (like Caracas Bakery or Chug’s). Casa Bake and Tina in the Gables have been on our list for a long time and we’ll probably visit either of them this weekend.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Sunday’s also the perfect day to squeeze in a little workout. My sister put me onto this Yogilates class from Mimi Yoga in Coconut Grove. When I’m not doing that, Juan and I enjoy walking the Key Biscayne Bridge and people watching. Also, Sunday night is pool night for Juan. You can find him at Billy’s in North Miami or Abbey Brewing Company in South Beach. He’s actually pretty good!
Any weekend getaways?
We had dinner at chef Jeremy Ford’s Salt & Ash at Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key when it first opened, and fell in love with the restaurant and resort. It’s a quick drive from Miami and we plan to go back soon to stay the night. We have great friends that now live down there and can’t wait to hang out with them.
What was your last great vacation?
Last year we went to New Orleans and it was so much fun. It’s such a diverse city. Drinking and eating is a big part of NOLA, but a huge highlight for us was the Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art, a peaceful escape from the party.