A customer writes in their notebook in a cozy nook at Treehouse Cafe, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette)
Treehouse Cafe is bopping on a Tuesday morning.
Staff members are busy frothing Botanical Bliss lattes, with milk, vanilla, violet, lavender and rose powder, while customers stand and gab. Pretty things sparkle in the shop area, where more than 55 local vendors display their jewelry, botanical body butters, hand-burned zodiac coasters, and homemade candles, dog treats and sun gazers. An apothecary displays jars of tea blends, such as Green Rejoice and Moon Brew.
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In the community meeting room, the Labeled and Loved group for mothers of children with disabilities is congregating. Artist Heather McKinnon is changing out her bright, meditative mandala art work on a couple of the walls, all while the old instructional TV show "The Joy of Painting," with famously soothing artist Bob Ross, plays on a loop on the one elevated TV screen in the cafe.
"Our slogan is brewing community and wellness one cup at a time," said cafe owner Sarah Grant.
"The idea is opening this space for the community to come in and enjoy, relax and come face to face. After COVID-19, we really need that."
She watches as people congregate in the space, talking, communing, laughing.
"It fills my cup," she said. "I enjoy watching families get out the games or tarot cards or oracle decks."
Grant opened the business in March in the northern Colorado Springs spot vacated by the longtime Pikes Perk coffee shop, but spent the prior six months doing extensive renovations in the cafe.
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The space is alcohol-free and the menu leans healthy, with acai bowls, salads, baked goods from local bakeries, including Bella's Bagels, and herb-infused specialty coffees.
The apothecary, with its herbal tea blends organically sourced from Mountain Rose Herbs, an Oregon herb distributor, and herb-y beverages, along with the calming shade of leafy green she painted the ceiling, speak to Grant's passion -- holistic health. After moving to the Springs 19 years ago from Wisconsin, she became enraptured with holistic living, seeking out nature-based answers to health concerns.
"I've been interested my whole life, but started really getting into it when doctors let me down over time," Grant said. "Telling me I wouldn't be able to have kids and now I have a beautiful 9-year-old. Holistic health has gotten me there with my own personal struggles and ailments."
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Grant, a master herbalist who owns The Rooted Herbalist, has a degree in complementary alternative medicine and is a reiki master, also runs the networking group Essential Wellness Society, Colorado's largest holistic society. The group meets at the cafe once a month to connect and collaborate with other holistic health practitioners.
An eclectic compendium of meetup groups, artists, crafters and those needing a spot to hold an event, book launch or fundraiser rent the community space. It's available through Grant for $25 an hour.
Psychic medium Rachael Ortega holds a twice-monthly, hourlong grief group. She doesn't do mediumship or psychic work during the meetings, though she occasionally offers special group readings.
Ortega started the free grief group in August as a more inclusive alternative to similar local groups, which can be specific to a certain type of loss or have a set length of time, such as a 10-week program.
"I wanted something good for ongoing support," she said. "Grief never goes away, especially around the holidays. It comes back around. The group is open to whatever types of grief or beliefs people have and is somewhere they can share their grief and experiences."
The size of the group varies, from two to seven people. And if the weather is crummy, she offers the meetings via Zoom.
"Sarah's done a wonderful job with the space," Ortega said. "There's a great feeling of community in there. It's the perfect space to do the grief group. She's put a lot of love into it."
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McKinnon teaches monthly classes on drawing mandalas.
"The cafe has the most amazing vibe," McKinnon said. "It's very calming and peaceful. I love watching Bob Ross. It's the welcoming, this is your community home. It's done with love."
The list of monthly gatherings is long and diverse -- recent events included the Pendrop Authors Meetup, a dog-treat decorating workshop, needlepoint group, Raise Your Vibration Vision Board Creation, Ageless Vitality Sister Circle for menopausal women, Black Rose Acoustic Society jam session and a class on making elderberry syrup.
"It's a lot of moving parts, but that's what fills my cup," Grant said.
"It's bringing people together and learning or socializing in a nice environment that's super safe."