Sant Ambroeus to open in Mirai Design District

A Milanese Italian restaurant and coffee shop is setting up shop in Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s upcoming mixed-use building in the Miami Design District.

Sant Ambroeus inked a 5,000-square-foot lease on the ground floor at the Mirai Design District, an office/retail project that recently broke ground by development team WellDuo, Leviathan Development, Lionheart Capital and The Lane Organization, according to a press release.

The eatery, which maintains a location in Miami Beach and Palm Beach, plans to open a full-service restaurant with a coffee bar and outdoor dining space in 2028.

Other Italian concepts in the Design District include Major Food Group’s Contessa, Le Specialità, MC Kitchen, Mother Wolf, Sardomare, Sofia and Torno Subito. The neighborhood is also home to popular cafés such as Almatcha, Aura Matcha, Maman, Pura Vida and Rosetta, as well as in-store outposts including the Dior Café and Sadelle’s at Kith.

Sant Ambroeus’ space at 4218 Northeast Second Avenue will be designed by architect and interior designer Fabrizio Casiraghi, who has worked on several of the brand’s locations globally.

The brand was founded 90 years ago in Milan and has expanded from Italy into high-end markets including New York, Aspen and Paris. .

The lease comes shortly after Mirai secured an $85 million construction loan from Monroe Capital, and started construction on Kuma’s first mixed-use project in the U.S.

The development will include a three-story building with 41,000 square feet of Class A office space and 16,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and hospitality space, as well as a 2,000-square-foot standalone structure designed as a sculptural centerpiece. Completion is expected in 2028.

Developers are bullish that continued migration by financial firms and creative companies to Miami will fuel demand for boutique office space in the Design District as an alternative to larger workspaces in Wynwood and the Brickell Financial District. Mirai’s office portion is targeted toward family offices, small and midsize investment firms, and design-focused businesses.

Cushman & Wakefield is handling office leasing, while Avenue Real Estate Partners is leading retail leasing.

The project is part of a broader wave of development in the Design District, which has transformed from a warehouse neighborhood into one of the country’s top luxury retail destinations and an emerging residential hub.