In the early/mid ‘90s, Wilton Manors was a desert of boarded-up strip malls, trailer parks, crack houses and abandoned buildings strewn with garbage. Then Chardees opened, followed in 1997 by The Alibi, and soon after Jim Stork started Stork's Bakery and Café on NE 15th Avenue. The floodgates were opened and The Island City as we know it was born.
Peter Dekaj came to Stork's Bakery 21 years ago as managing partner and pastry chef, he is now an owner. "We are thrilled and grateful that we have once again won this award. It lets us know that our customers are happy with our products and our service, which are our two main goals."
Those who think that Stork's is just a coffee shop couldn't be more wrong. They feature seven types of freshly brewed coffee each day, complimented by an array of teas, smoothies, cappuccinos and lattes. They also offer breakfast, lunch and dinner items to eat in or take home. In addition to fresh sandwiches, wraps, salads and more, they have a very successful catering department. The baked goods are always fresh and include Danishes, muffins, scones, cakes for a variety of occasions, pies, cookies, and bars plus seasonal and holidays desserts. Stork's offers online ordering for take out via UberEats and Doordash.
"What makes Stork's unique is the feeling of community that people get when they come here, it's common for perfect strangers to become friends as they dine near each other in the dining room or the covered patio," Dekaj said.
And this year, store manager Lisa K. has won, for the first time, the Best Barista Award.
When asked what it meant to hear, she answered with a joyful, "Awesome." She has been at Stork's for 20 years and prides herself in providing happy, relaxed super service. She enjoys her job, and she is very grateful to the community, the locals and the regular customers who voted for her.
"Such an honor to be recognized for what I do, especially since I LOVE what I do." Congratulations to Lisa for a job well done and a very deserved award.
Runner-up for Best Bakery: Cake Daddy’s
Runner-up for Best Coffee Shop: Java Joes
Runner-up for Best Barista: Todd T. at Cake Daddy’s
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