A Pink Paradise with Premium Roasts
PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL
Have you ever wondered what a Flamingo Kiss might taste like?
If you’re at a bright and eclectic coffee shop in North Lakeland the answer is a mix of strawberry, white chocolate, espresso and milk.
The Flamingo Kiss Iced Latte is an example of the fun original drinks you can find at The Flamingo Bean Co., a husband and wife owned business that also prides itself on premium locally roasted beans that even the most discerning coffee drinker can appreciate.
For the past five years Lake Gibson High School alumni Ed and Wendy Huckery have been refining their roasting process to bring out distinctive flavors in beans from regions that include Rwanda, Tanzania, Costa Rica and more.
“We are ‘coffee forward’ in the crafting of our specialty drinks. We small-batch roast the beans that are sold and consumed in our café,” Wendy says. “We import and roast specialty grade beans striving to obtain them from female owned farms/co-ops and farms that have health initiatives in place for their workers.”
You might walk into the pink paradise that is The Flamingo Bean Co. and smell fresh roasted bourbon barrel aged reserve beans, or you might see customers grabbing trendy drinks and fresh made food.
Drinks like the Cinnaroll Iced Latte, Spanish Latte and Tropical Latte are one-of-a-kind creations served up by baristas. Non coffee drinkers might enjoy a Flamingo Fizzie, the name for the shop’s dirty sodas.
A variety of made-to-order breakfast sandwiches, fresh baked breakfast casseroles and breakfast burritos are among the customer favorites, while chicken salad on a croissant with mini dill pickles is a go-to at lunchtime.
Bakery items include the “Flamazing” cinnamon roll and a wide assortment of cake pops, muffins, scones and more.
Just as important to Ed and Wendy as having a menu that keeps people coming back is staying connected to the community through partnerships and family-focused events such as visits from the Easter Bunny and Santa during the holidays.
“We are active in the community supporting local schools, civic groups and animal rescues with events and fundraising,” Wendy said. “And we do things such as donate tips for a period of time to the Polk County Bully Project. Our customers love animals.”
In the future, The Flamingo Bean Co. plans to expand its retail offerings to include coffee themed apparel, local handmade pottery and popular coffee accessories.
Customers can visit flamingobean.com to order roasted coffee along with coffee infused spices for in-café pickup, where they might be enticed to take home a growler filled with their favorite cold brew coffee to enjoy at home.
