A locally grown coffee shop, prized for its cortadito espresso, exclusively supplied coffee beans from Panther Coffee in Miami, and collaborations with shops across the city, is establishing itself in a new location after closing its Midtown doors in January.
Argonaut Coffee, a Greek mythology-themed coffee shop, opened its second location this month in the Goodwood Garden and Museum, 1600 Miccosukee Road.
The coffee shop now operates in both the Goodwood Museum and its original location since 2019 at Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic, 3334 Capital Medical Boulevard. A third location is slated to open later this year at Cascades Park.
Since closing the site in the upstairs area of the Midtown Reader, 1123 Thomasville Road, owner, Jason McArthur, said he is excited about the redirection and expansion of his coffee shop at Goodwood.
“I honestly think the potential here is infinite,” McArthur told the Tallahassee Democrat. “It just depends on how much we can take advantage of everything that is happening around us as people start to learn about us.”
The coffee shop, operated by the Tallahassee native, has been known to be a hub for book clubs, coordinating community events including its Summer Wine Tasting Series, and collaborations with Midtown Reader, Jeri’s Midtown Cafe, and more.
McArthur said he was focused on expanding to Cascades Park this fall when the opportunity to move to the Rough House cottage at Goodwood fell in his lap quickly and unexpectedly.
While attending a plant sale at Goodwood earlier this year, one of the directors approached McArthur, stating it was a shame the shop had already committed to moving to Cascades Park.
“I was like well, why is that?” McArthur said, not knowing the director had a spot in mind that he thought would be perfect for Argonaut’s expansion, to which McArthur responded, “Why not both?”
Baked goods added to new menu
The newly decorated Rough House that most recently housed the “Soulful” restaurant is decorated in a bright shade of pastel blue and white paint with signs on every corner pointing to the shop’s entrances.
The coffee shop soft-launched on July 7, with plans for a grand opening on July 29.
The shop’s grand opening theme is in celebration of Harry Potter’s birthday on July 31. The celebration calls for butterbeer and sorting hat cupcakes that help guests discover which Hogwarts house they’re destined to join when they bite into them.
Baked in-house treats are some of the new offerings the owner is eager to debut at the shop’s Goodwood location. With the help of SōDOUGH Baking Co.’s former baker, Kaizsa Threatt, the shop has been able to expand its breakfast and lunch menu.
“Some of the things we’re most excited about are these massive cinnamon rolls,” McArthur said. “Kaizsa actually is at this very moment working on a vegan recipe for those.”
In addition to the cinnamon rolls, McArthur is hoping their doughnuts, will be their “main draw.” Offered Friday to Sunday, they are designed to complement the shop’s coffee menu.
The menu offers their signature lattes, frappes, smoothies, cappuccinos, mochas and more, starting at $1.50.
One of the shop’s more popular drinks is the “Poseidon,” a brown sugar, sea salt latte. Another drink that has made top ranks on the menu is its infamous cortadito coffee – a sweetened Cuban-style espresso starting at $4.25.
The cortadito comes from McArthur’s training with a man he worked with at a previous coffee shop years ago. After seeing how much praise the drink got at that shop, he decided the specialty drink had to be featured on his own menu.
“A lot of people tell us that the cortadito we have is the best they’ve had since they’ve come up from Miami, people are very happy that we sell it,” McArthur, 34, said. “People really go crazy for this.”
Argonaut Coffee operates from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at their Goodwood Museum location.
Democrat writer Kyla Sanford can be reached at ksanford@gannett.com.