Knaus Berry Farm opens 70th season with a new rule. But are the lines faster?

Food admin October 13, 2026 0 Comments

Knaus Berry Farm opens 70th season with a new rule. But are the lines faster?

As the sun crept over the horizon and the trucks thundered past on Krome Avenue, the line and the anticipation grew quietly at Knaus Berry Farm.

A few hardy souls arrived the night before. Others, unwilling to spend the night on concrete instead of a bed, showed up just after dawn, hopeful that the wait for Miami’s favorite cinnamon rolls wouldn’t be excruciatingly long.

And at 8 a.m., even though the sun would swiftly remind everyone that South Florida fall is always unkind, Miami’s iconic farm stand rolled up its doors to kick off its 70th season, unleashing the scent of cinnamon rolls and a heady blast of nostalgia.

This is the second year at its new location for Knaus, which was first opened by brothers Ray and Russell Knaus in Homestead in 1956, and general manager Joel White was upbeat about the crowd.

“It’s amazing how many people show up, and they’re just as enthusiastic as ever,” he said. “It’s fun to see the energy again.”

Last year, due to issues involved in the move from its original home at 15980 SW 248th St. in Homestead, Knaus opened during Christmas week, traditionally one of the busiest times for the business. Wait times ran up to six hours and beyond on opening day and Christmas Eve, as customers bought huge quantities of cinnamon rolls and backed up the kitchen.

This year, Knaus changed its policies a bit to keep the lines moving, adding an extra register and setting a limit of four dozen rolls per customer. Next month, the website will offer online ordering for anyone who wants to order five dozen or more. Those customers can pick up their orders without getting out of the car.

The cinnamon rolls they receive won’t be hot out of the oven, but any veteran knows a few moments in the microwave can make up for that.

The new rules didn’t seem to faze any of the early morning customers. Eiby Mendez of Homestead, who arrived with four companions, was the first in line at 7:30 p.m. Monday night. She was there for the maximum number of cinnamon rolls, which she delivers to people around the community.

“There are a lot of people who can’t come out here because of work,” she said, adding that she was fine with the new limits. “I’m OK with whatever they say. It’s their business, and I have to respect it.”

Second in line was Chrischelle Polles of Homestead, who arrived shortly after Mendez at 7:45 p.m. and spent much of the evening “playing on my phone.” Getting to Knaus early is a family tradition for her, one she shared with her father when she was a kid and has been carrying on for 42 years.

Her father, who now lives in Gainesville, couldn’t be there, but he didn’t forget what day it was.

“He already texted me and said, ‘Hey, are you going to mail me some cinnamon rolls?’ ” she said. The answer, of course, was yes.

There are other changes at Knaus this season, too, notably the return of the U-Pick strawberry fields later in the season and the return of the guava jam and hot pepper guava jam, customer favorites that weren’t available last year.

Jennifer Lopez of Cutler Bay, who was working her very first day at the Knaus counter after years of visiting the farm stand as a child, also recommended the mango pie. But she knows the guava jam is going to be a hit.

“A lot of people love the guava jam,” she said. “I am Cuban myself, and I know us Cubans love guava. A lot of us will be coming here for that jam.”

The shakes, which you order at a separate counter, are popular, too, and the short lines lured over some of those waiting in the longer line. This year, mango shakes have been added back into the mix, too.

But as always, the cinnamon rolls — hot, sticky, guaranteed to crush any diet vows — prove to be the real draw. The recipe, the same as it ever was, has been perfected by a kitchen with a collective 140 years of experience, including the expertise of kitchen consultant Thomas Blocher, who has overseen the Knaus bakery program for 40 years.

Cinnamon rolls were the main agenda for Maribel Morales from Cutler Bay and her sister Marjorie Morales from Fort Lauderdale, who arrived at Knaus around 7:30 a.m.

“I have a little order to make for someone, and they were like, ‘Is it worth it?’ ” Marjorie Morales said. “And I said ‘GIRRRRLLLL… let me get you six to get you started.’ If she likes them, she and her husband can make the drive.”

Neither sister had a problem with the new limits.

“For the regular customers, it’s fair,” Maribel Morales said. “We used to wait in line so long, and then they’d run out and they’d have to make more, so we kept waiting.”

After two hours, the sisters reached the cashier, loading up on cinnamon rolls, jam and T shirts and beaming over their success. They even took a selfie with the friends they made in line.

“It was definitely worth the wait,” Maribel Morales said. “I can’t wait to sink my teeth into one of these. I’m going to try one in the car.”