02/09/2026
Some places feel meant to be part of someone’s story. Banyan Cafe was one of them. 🌿☕️
Before DD (right) ever owned this little coffee truck beneath the banyan trees, she was a local mom walking here with her kids—just a 15-minute walk, a 5-minute bike ride. She grew up in Southwest Florida, swore she’d never move back, then life did what it does. After 15 years in Atlanta, she found herself back home, raising two young kids and craving something of her own.
So when Jasmin (left), the original owner and an incredible baker, shared she and her family were moving back to Germany, DD felt the pull. “I can’t let this business dissipate,” she told herself — even though she had no idea how to run a coffee shop. Numbers, spreadsheets, and remote work she knew. Espresso machines? Not so much.
After months of closures, licensing, and learning with the kindness and support of the former owners, DD & her husband Trip officially purchased Banyan Café last July. They reopened consistently in October, carrying forward the business’s original spirit while slowly shaping something that fits her life now—closed Sundays and Mondays to honor her kids, a rotating menu that supports local bakers, and a space rooted in community over perfection.
Banyan Café is an independent, woman-owned business, renting space at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates (no admission required, dog-friendly 🐾). The menu changes often—baked goods, occasional sandwiches, and thoughtful partnerships with local makers like French baker Remy and Alison F. because DD believes in keeping things simple, intentional, and real.
Ask DD her favorite part and she won’t say coffee—she’ll say the people. The neighbors who thanked her for reopening. Other small business owners asking how they can help. A community that showed up before she even felt ready.
Order her favorite Coquito Macchiato, say Hi! to Liv, Donna, or DD (3rd pic!), and spend a few quiet moments under the banyan trees. This place isn’t a clone of what came before—it’s a continuation of something special. 💛
📍 Banyan Café | Fort Myers, FL
🗓 Closed Sundays & Mon
🐶 Dog friendly | No admission required
