A Greenhouse Grows in Brooklyn
The Greenhouse Bar, a plant and cocktail bar that opened in Jacksonville’s Brooklyn neighborhood in 2022, is built on a love story that began when owners Lauren Henry and Jennifer Ness met in 2018. Ness owned a vintage rental company while Henry worked in bars and restaurants, learning the service industry like the back of her hand. They shared a passion for delicious food, beautiful things and travel.
When they began thinking about starting their own business, they asked each other, “why open just a bar, or just a cafe or a plant shop?” Their ideas blossomed from there. The Greenhouse Bar combines everything the pair loves into their next adventure together.
While plants were always part of the vision, the concept for the space was born after they took a trip to a plant conference. Ness says that when they heard how plants are “therapeutic to people's mood, it really solidified the direction we would go in.” The shop is always full of greenery to purchase, from succulents to birds of paradise, with full baskets of trailing, hanging vines and vibrant mixes of Philodendron Brasils, Scindapsus Exoticas and Cebu Blues occupying the shelves.
Greenhouse Bar’s drink menu easily transitions from day to night, featuring a variety of artisan coffees, local brews and natural wines. Crafting a unique cocktail menu was a focus for the team as they refused to be limited by their alcohol license, which only allows beer and wine. Avoiding lackluster wine-based spirits, a common fallback for spots without a liquor license, they built their beverage program with complex, layered flavors of amaros and aperitifs.Variations on standard liquor selections abound on the beverage menu. If you’re in the mood for earthy, floral or bright flavors, the low-ABV cocktails deliver a sipping experience you won’t want to end. Two must-try cocktails are the aperitif spritz and the old Hollywood, a smoky take on an old fashioned using Cappelletti Vino Amaro. “The aroma of the burning wood makes the bar smell so good,” says Henry.
It took the partners time to find just the right spot for Greenhouse Bar’s home until they landed on their space in the Vista Brooklyn building between 220 Riverside and Brooklyn Station. “We fell in love with the concrete columns and high ceilings immediately and played that up with our design as much as possible,” says Henry.
Creating an inviting atmosphere amidst the space’s clean lines and industrial concrete was important to both Henry and Ness, which was accomplished with warm lighting and plants – lots of plants! “We wanted to create an environment where people could talk to one another, walk around, ask questions and be inspired, giving our customers the opportunity to learn and be intrigued every time they come in,” says Henry. As the business evolves, the partners have ideas about pushing their drinks and coffee menu to new heights and adding more food options. They serve baked goods from 1748 Bakehouse and look forward to adding more bar snacks to the menu.
Because the business, and space, were built with community spirit and connection in mind, it’s not just a bar and plant shop. “We really wish to create a sense of community inside our space,” Ness says. “[A space] where everyone feels welcome and included. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community, we feel the need to use our space as a place people can feel safe and loved.”
Stop by The Greenhouse Bar at 200 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville for plants, coffee, cocktails and community.
