Texas-based coffee shop Summer Moon Coffee will host the grand opening of its first Florida location Saturday in south Fort Myers. The Southern-style coffee franchise, founded in 2002 with more than 50 locations, is known for their old-fashioned roasting methods and signature Moon Milk.  

With a wood-fired coffee roasting process completed through handmade brick roasters over seasoned Texas oak, Summer Moon uses 19th-century techniques with every batch of its coffee. Paired with Moon Milk, a seven-ingredient secret recipe sweet cream, the handcrafted drinks are bold yet smooth, creating a balanced flavor for coffee lovers.  

The shop is at 14261 S. Tamiami Trail in Park Shops at Andrea Lane. 

Fort Myers location co-owner Rene Cabrera was first introduced to Summer Moon when visiting friends in Texas. 

“Friends that we knew in Austin kept talking about Summer Moon Coffee and their signature sweet cream, and I have such a sweet tooth, so I said we should definitely go over there and check out the coffee,” Cabrera said. “… First time I drank it, I was hooked.”  

Cabrera, who spent more than 25 years in the software engineering industry, and his wife and co-owner Cynthia Cabrera decided to pursue opening a Summer Moon franchise in Florida.  

“We fell in love with the culture, that Texas hospitality, fell in love with how we felt when we came in and we were greeted. And the coffee was so delicious and smooth,” Cynthia Cabrera said. “And it just looks so trendy.”  

On the walls of Summer Moon, there are pictures of the wood-fired roasting process along with a partial brick wall to represent their brick roasters. Additionally, a poster hangs on the wall showing how to choose your sweet spot. Customers can choose how much Moon Milk they’d like in their drink through ordering the four different phases of the moon—from a summer full moon, which is solely Moon Milk for dairy and paired with coffee or espresso, down to a quarter moon, which is mostly skim milk with a dash of Moon Milk.  

In addition to the signature drinks, such as the blue moon latte made with lavender and the caffeinated frozen hot chocolate, Summer Moon is celebrating fall through its seasonal autumn moon latte, maple praline latte and cranberry refresher tea. The shop will be partnering with a local chef at Pastry Boutique in Estero to provide fresh desserts, such as chocolate croissants, cinnamon rolls and caramel kouign-amann.  

Savannah Leite, daughter of the Cabreras and general manager of the Fort Myers Summer Moon, said the two-year-long process of opening the company’s first Florida location has been a rewarding experience.  

“[My parents] are just awesome, they are definitely my role models,” Leite said. “And hopefully, in the future, we’ll open more in Florida and take over this area.”  

The shop will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.