September 27th, 2021

Flower Coffee Collective Opens in Long Branch

Even before her big-bang opening, on Aug. 21, which drew a crowd and local celebrities, local resident Rosemary Wilson’s Flower Coffee Collective mobile coffee truck was already a hit.

Lines form early in the morning alongside the beautifully-decorated van, with regulars waiting to get their fix of gourmet coffee along with a croissant or pan dulce.

Everything is local. The coffee is ground in Silver Spring. The pastries come from Long Branch’s El Arbol de Pan bakery (8545 Piney Branch Rd.) or the Pop-up Patisserie in Rockville. El Gavilan restaurant has generously provided what Wilson describes as “the perfect location.”

Local On Purpose

The Flower Coffee Collective business concept was the brainchild of Rosemary Wilson, who lives with her family and two young children just a few blocks from El Gavilan. “I’d had the idea, which I thought was a pipe dream, for years,” Wilson explained to the Newsletter. “But when the Long Branch festival happened the first time [in September 2019], and I saw how the community came together – it was just what I wanted,” Wilson said. “I also saw on the ‘Ideas Board’ how many people were saying that they wanted a coffee shop; and I thought, ‘so do I!’”

Wilson’s dream was to take advantage of the local cultural diversity and locally-produced items, as much as possible. “Juan Carlos’s bakery, El Arbol del Pan, has worked out so well!” Wilson said. “People particularly love his guava, pineapple and crema turnovers.” Whatever she buys from his bakery quickly sells out, Wilson said.

Her goal has always been to incorporate into the Flower Coffee Collective as many goods and products as possible that are produced right here in the community. Wilson hopes to eventually expand to a brick-and-mortar operation, which would allow her to further expand that same vision by incorporating a broader mix of local products.

An Extension of Home

Wilson herself lives with her husband and two young daughters only a few blocks away from her current location next to El Gavilan Restaurant. Not only is she a resident of the Sligo-Branview neighborhood, she was also just recently elected to serve as president of the Sligo-Branview Neighborhood Association.

The food truck approach, she said, was less intimidating, and less time consuming, than a full-time coffee shop, and would leave more time for her family.

“I wanted our neighborhood to have available to it what other places have,” Wilson said, and now that it is panning out, “It feels really good.” For now, the coffee truck is open Mon. – Fri. from 7 AM to 11 AM, and Saturdays from 8 AM to 11 AM. Be sure to follow the Flower Coffee Collective on Facebook, as their locations may sometimes vary.