Downtown Fort Myers welcomes new coffee spot offering java and inviting atmosphere
The mission of the new coffee shop Good Ground, according to the owners, is simple: Come in, enjoy a cup of java and just relax.
“I love coffee, the culture around it,” said Abel Pardi, co-owner of Good Ground. “There's so much comfort in a cup of coffee. For a lot of people, it’s a way to start their day.”
Good Ground, located in downtown Fort Myers at 2281 Main St., opened its doors April 21. Operating hours are Monday to Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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Traditional menu items range in price from $1.50 a cup for espresso to $4 for a cup of Americano. Specialty drinks like the honey brown sugar latte or the white chocolate hazelnut latte are priced at $5.
Pardi, 23, Paola Henderson, 23, and Sam Molina, 21 – co-owners of Good Ground – wanted to create something familiar to what they admire about their favorite coffee spots.
“Our favorite coffee shops aren’t in town,” said Molina. “A lot of them are in Orlando or Houston. We saw a need for a coffee shop. Especially after Hurricane Ian. A lot of businesses closed down. We really wanted to open up a coffee shop.”
The coffee shop trio agreed to take things slow at first.
“For now we just want to hone in on one thing,” said Molina. “And maybe in the future we'll add food to the menu.”
Pardi, originally from Ohio, moved to Fort Myers at the age of five. Before getting into the coffee business he worked in a completely different industry.
“I sold cars,” he said. “I worked at a Kia dealership in Cape Coral. I have family members who are in that world. My stepfather is the manager of the dealership. I was 19 at the time, and it was familiar. I did that for four years.”
The journey to entrepreneurship started off slow for the trio.
“In the beginning, we ordered plastic cups and labels,” said Pardi. “ Then we started reaching out to roasters and going to different coffee shops. We visited places in St. Petersburg, Orlando, St. Augustine and Manhattan, New York. This was around December of last year. But this has been in the back of my mind for a few years.”
After sampling more coffee than they could count, the choice was made on what blends to serve.
“Our espresso is a dark roast house blend called Black Tiger,” said Molina. “ Our pourover and our drip is a Colombian medium roast. It’s so much smoother than the dark roast.”
Molina said the independence that comes with being an entrepreneur is one of the many things he enjoys about owning a business.
“I get to work with my friends, which is incredible,” said Molina. “Seeing people from the community and from my church support us is really amazing. It doesn’t feel like work.“
Pardi said his favorite thing about running a coffee spot is being able to commune with people.
“The most gratifying thing about owning a business is seeing people enjoy something that you created in a sense,” said Pardi.
Erica Van Buren is the underserved communities reporter for The News-Press and Naples Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on Twitter: @EricaVanBuren32
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers coffee lovers are invited to check out new coffee spot
