When we opened our Greenhouse Café in North Venice five months ago, the idea was simple: to make a trip to the garden center a little more enjoyable. Pick up a coffee, have something delicious, and take your time looking around. Plants and coffee already make a pretty good combination, and adding ice cream seemed like a decision nobody was going to argue with. Since then, the response has been wonderful, and we’re grateful to everyone who has made the café part of their routine.
One of the biggest highlights has been the reception to Lucky Goat Coffee. Whether you like a straightforward hot coffee or an iced latte with a little more going on, we’ve loved introducing customers to this brand and seeing them come back for another cup. Our chai and matcha lattes have also found their fans, along with our garden sodas and lemonades. With fall here and the holidays approaching, we have plenty of seasonal beverage options to try, even if Florida still occasionally insists that November is iced-coffee weather.
The fresh pastries and baked goods from Nino’s Bakery have been another delicious part of the experience. The gargantuan bagels, in particular, have been a huge hit, and everything they deliver gives us another reason to look forward to breakfast. If your morning errands could use a coffee-and-bagel stop, we’d be happy to help. Just know that a quick breakfast can turn into a walk through the garden center, and we can’t promise you won’t find a plant you suddenly need.
This week, we took the next step and soft-opened our Greenhouse Café in Port Charlotte! We’re stocked with the same great beverages and pastries, and we’re excited to bring this experience to our Port Charlotte customers. There’s plenty happening at that store and having a café where you can grab a refreshment while you explore makes it even more fun to see everything coming together.
This weekend, we’re offering free beverages at the Port Charlotte café while we break in the equipment and train our new team members. Come say hello, try something you’ve been curious about, and give us a little patience as everyone gets comfortable. We’re looking forward to building the same welcoming atmosphere that our North Venice customers have helped create over the past five months.
At both locations, our buy-one-get-one-free offer on any size drink or ice cream continues through the end of November. It’s a good excuse to bring a friend, treat someone to coffee, or make an ordinary shopping trip a little sweeter.
Our North Venice café is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and our Port Charlotte café is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stop in for coffee, a fresh pastry, or an orange-and-vanilla twist, then take a look around at the plants, gifts, and everything else MRT has to offer. We’ll be happy to see you, and if you came for a latte and left with a new planter, we understand completely.