Two University of Central Florida alumni have brought specialty coffee and a community-focused gathering space to campus with the opening of Weekday Coffee & Matcha. Located in the former Starbucks spot on Memory Mall, the shop opened its doors on August 24, coinciding with the first day of fall classes.
The venture is founded by David Benjamin, a 2021 integrated business graduate, and Ricky Bravo, a 2017 sport and exercise science graduate. The pair combined their distinct professional backgrounds and shared appreciation for Orlando’s coffee culture to establish the campus storefront.
Long before becoming business partners, Benjamin and Bravo met as college roommates in the summer of 2016 through a mutual friend. Bravo introduced Benjamin to Orlando’s burgeoning coffee scene, sparking a lasting friendship. After graduation, their career paths diverged before intersecting again.
Benjamin’s professional background includes interning with UCF’s Knight Vision program, working in financial services at Robinhood, and spending four years as an IT project manager at the university. Bravo gained extensive experience in the specialty coffee industry, volunteering as a dishwasher at the nonprofit cafe DUO58, training with the Specialty Coffee Association in California, and working at Lineage Coffee Roasting before moving into finance at Robinhood alongside Benjamin during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The path to Memory Mall began when Benjamin spotted an empty kiosk near the campus Reflecting Pond. Recognizing Orlando’s standing as a top-ranked city for coffee, he contacted UCF’s vice president of real estate in February with a proposal to bring an independent cafe to campus. Around the same time, Bravo was planning his own independent coffee cart.
Although the original kiosk was unavailable, university officials offered the former Starbucks space on Memory Mall in March instead. With approval from UCF Dining, the founders partnered with Lineage Coffee Roasting for guidance on product development and design. Bravo and his wife utilized their experience in rental-property design to create a bright interior featuring couches, intimate seating, and communal tables intended for study sessions and social gatherings.
The shop’s menu features signature coffee and matcha beverages paired with seasonal items and syrups prepared in-house. Their signature Weekday Blend, roasted by Lineage, incorporates coffee grown by a UCF student’s family in Honduras, complemented by an Ethiopian coffee. House-made syrups include caramelized Madagascar vanilla bean, sea salt mocha, and a warm-spiced brown sugar shoyu used in the popular Golden Shoyu drink. During Homecoming Week, the shop introduced a specialty orange blossom honey beverage named The Citronaut in honor of UCF’s original mascot.
Operating daily alongside a predominantly student staff, Benjamin and Bravo aim to provide a welcoming environment for campus organizations and regular visitors. Student groups such as French and Spanish clubs have already held meetings inside the shop. Looking ahead, the founders plan to enhance the outdoor seating area next summer with shade awnings and lush landscaping, cementing the cafe’s role as a fixture of campus life.
