New coffee shop opens on Bradenton’s Old Main Street, completing City Centre lineup
It’s bright, it’s cheerful and it’s open.
Orange Blossom Coffee opened this week on Old Main Street in the City Centre Building and quickly had folks lining up to get their fix of hand-crafted coffee or tea.
“I love coffee shops and new places to go,” said Meredith Killingsworth, who ordered an oatmeal latte with a jalapeño cheddar bagel.
Another customer, Lin Oakerson, sat at an outside table along a broad sidewalk with a view down Old Main Street.
“It’s wonderful having a coffee shop downtown,” Oakerson said.
Old Main Street north of Manatee Avenue last had a coffee shop August 2021, when The B’Towne Coffee Co. closed after a 17-year run. Just south of Manatee Avenue is Kefi Streetside Cafe, which opened in November 2021.
Partners in Orange Blossom Coffee are Melissa Lilly, and her daughter, Kaitlyn Lilly, and Josh and Abbey Schmitt.
Several years ago, Josh turned his coffee roasting hobby into a business, distributing locally roasted coffee to Bradenton area businesses.
In late 2022, Josh and Abbey opened their their first brick-and-mortar coffee shop, Banyan Coffee Company, at 1110 Tenth St., Palmetto.
The inspiration for Orange Blossom comes from Kaitlyn, and her love of coffee shops. And helping make it happen was a mother’s love.
Melissa thought if she could set up a coffee shop she could turn the operation over to her daughter, hoping to keep her close to home, and then get back to her regular job as a mortgage broker.
In doing her research, Melissa found that Josh and Abbey Schmitt already had a local coffee roasting business, and began talks with them on setting up a coffee shop. From those talks was born a partnership.
Kaitlyn received on-the-job training on coffee shop operation with the Schmitts at Banyan Coffee.
“I am a native Floridian and I always support my local businesses,” Melissa said.
Her coffee supplier is Banyan Coffee Company, and Sweet Life Cookies and Confections is her local pastry bakery.
“Our customers love the pastries, and we sell out every day,” Melissa said.
Orange Blossom may be adding more grab-and-go items in the future, but won’t be doing any cooking on site or becoming a restaurant, she said.
Orange Blossom is also getting a license to sell wine and beer. The suppliers will be local: Fiorelli Winery, 4250 Waterbury Road in East Manatee and 3 Car Garage Brewing, 8405 Heritage Green Way, Bradenton.
Orange Blossom Coffee, 1166 Third Ave. W., is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
For more information orangeblossomcoffeeshop.com or call 941-896-3032.
The City Centre lineup
With the addition of Orange Blossom Coffee, all retail spaces in the City Centre building are now filled.
Other businesses include:
▪ Millie’s Sweets & Treats, ice cream, milk shakes, smoothies and some of Mildred Golden’s home-baked cheese cakes, pound cakes and banana nut breads
▪ The Stoked Flamingo, a men’s clothing store with a West Coast vibe and a surf element.
▪ Pink and Navy, a womens boutique, offering women’s fashions in small through curvy sizes along with handbags, accessories, gifts and more.
▪ The Beach Shoppe, offering clothing and swimwear, body boards, skim boards, paddle boards, beach chairs and umbrellas and unusual gifts.
This story was originally published January 20, 2023 at 2:24 PM.
