HOUSTON — A jungle is sprouting in Houston’s East End inside a small business that wants to transport you to Eden.
"We tried to create an environment of peace and rest where people can come and just detach from their day-to-day," said Irving Chavez, owner of Eden Plant Co.
He explained he came up with the coffee shop/plant shop because he wanted to do something with his family. Chavez started out selling plants out of his family's backyard. In November 2021, he opened a microshop just off downtown. A year later, he moved to this spot at 3401 Harrisburg Blvd. in the East End.
"It just kind of took off," Chavez said.
His mom, whose passion for plants inspired Irving, is involved and one of his brothers does logistics while his sister helps with sales and marketing.
"As the business continues to grow, my family, my siblings tend to step in in different phases," said Chavez.
Visitors can shop some of the 40 tropical varieties – outdoor and indoor – order a coffee and grab a seat on a sofa, a converted piano or an old school desk -- wherever you’re most comfortable.
"Our heart is people and our intent is that the people who come through these doors leave out more hopeful about the future, more expectant, a little lighter, through just an environment of peace and rest," Chavez said.
The shop is decorated very eclectically, something Chavez said just came together by chance.
"Really, it’s just all we had," he laughed. "That’s the beautiful part about this place is through everything, through the journey, it’s all just bootstrapping it. In large part, it was what was in my living room."
Now those pieces are creating a new living room for the East End community. Learn more about Eden Plant Co. here.
Content sponsored by Dairy Queen.