Pinecrest Wayside Market Has Secretly Raised Miami's Youth For More Than 20 Years

On a Wednesday at 3:15 p.m., children flock to the cashier station of a charming, wooden fruit stand along Red Road in Pinecrest. An 8-year-old boy in his school uniform orders two small cookies-and-cream shakes made with yogurt and a small cherry snow cone.

The child picks up a pen and quickly scribbles an illegible signature onto a notecard, then scurries off to the side of the cashier's table with his siblings as if he's stolen something. On the contrary, the kid has just paid for the beverages on his family's account, one that's been active for more than years, thanks to this notecard.

No, it's not 1985. It's 2024. At Pinecrest Wayside Market — or, as locals call it, "Wayside" — there are no QR codes or discount codes. There are no gift cards or BOGO deals. Here, it's as old school as it gets in a city that couldn't be more the opposite.
Wayside sources novelty ice creams from across the nation and produce from local farmers, gives local brands a chance to sell their baked goods at the cashier's table, slings cookies-and-cream shakes (not to mention fresh green juices), and maintains its customers' tabs on notecards.

That it persists in doing so as the current century nears the one-quarter mark is thanks to Miami native Eli Tako. A University of Miami grad, he bought the market, which originally opened in 1948, when its second owners listed it for sale in 2022.

"I used to go to the market when I went to Gulliver Academy when I was a little kid," Tako explains. "So, when I saw it on the market, I knew I had to own it."   

When he took over, Wayside's stock in trade was fresh local produce and the occasional shake. Tako knew he could do more for the community by expanding its offerings. But there was one thing he wasn't about to mess with, and that was the market's archaic system of keeping accounts — even accepting IOUs from children from time to time.

"When I bought the market, they had maybe 50 accounts. Now, I have 400," he says with a chuckle. "I do it with no scanning. I like to keep it old-school. If you change, all markets become the same thing. We have families that have four or five kids, and they all come. And the kids think they're getting it for free. The young kid is like, singing, going, 'Yay!' It's so wonderful."
The clientele is primarily locals — parents taking their children to and from school, cyclists stopping in for a smoothie, passersby in search of a quick lunch. That said, come the weekend, tourists swing by to eat "where the locals do."

As for the shakes, you're welcome to go with something basic (Wayside is famous for its strawberry shakes), but the menu's all over the map, from Miami-inspired flavors like mamey and guava to creative ones that kids gravitate to, like the "Elvis," a classic mix of banana and peanut butter, or the cookies and cream. Also on offer: a variety of smoothies, juices, and prepared foods made fresh weekly. Standouts include the signature curry chicken salad with dried cranberries, the tuna salad, and the chicken cashew salad.

The abundance of loyal regulars underscores the old-school approach. Some customers stop by several times a day. Many are former classmates of Tako or attended other or nearby schools and now have children of their own who they bring to Wayside. He's something of a local celebrity.
If you become a regular at Wayside, chances are good that Tako will get to know you. He has a knack for listening to what each customer asks for, and if he doesn't currently carry it, he'll likely have it in stock within a few days. Maybe it's those gluten-free vegan chips by a hip brand like Siete. He recently teamed with a friend to open a coffee bar inside the market. Empanadas and chocolate-chip muffins are on deck, too.

"I add new products, but I've maintained the charm by adding local goods that you can only find here and vintage products you literally can't find anywhere else. Every time customers ask me for something, a couple of weeks later, I have it. I even have Wagyu beef now," he adds with a smile.

Pinecrest Wayside Market. 10070 SW 57th Ave., Pinecrest. Open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.