THE OUTPOST - entry 004 - The little coffee trailer that could
7.1.26. Daybreak Launch Day. With all the anticipation, anxiety, and build up that led to launching Daybreak, the crew thought it best to spend the day on the water rather than sit behind a laptop hoping for orders to come. We loaded up early, got everything situated, and pulled out of the gate headed towards Cedar Key where we were then needing to run for 50 or so miles to the spots we had marked on the GPS for our target species, Red Snapper. However, this story won't talk about our time out on the water rather our time leading up to it
I for one don't think I could live on this earth without caffeine, and while getting out on the water early is all fine and dandy, I don't always give myself time to make my morning coffee before leaving the house. So, I found a way to sneak in a coffee run before we launched the boat. My brother Drew, his friend Drew, and I were about 15 minutes ahead of the car towing the boat that had the rest of our group in it so we decided to find a coffee shop to go to between getting live bait and launching the boat at the ramp.
A quick Google search highlighted a coffee shop just 2 minutes from the boat ramp in downtown Cedar Key - perfect. The coffee shop was The Prickly Palm, a bright pink and green colored coffee trailer just off the main road. While an iced latte and a breakfast burrito really puts me in the right direction towards a good day, the food and drink isn't the purpose behind highlighting this coffee trailer, it's the story behind it.
Founded in 2021 by Hannah Healey, The Prickly Palm was originally located within a brick and mortar shop, they have been open for 5 years… and a survivor of 3(!) hurricanes. The first coming in Late August of 2023, Hurricane Idalia, hitting Florida’s Big Bend August 30th bringing in nearly 7ft storm surge to the island and leaving 4ft of water in their shop. A two week clean up effort allowed them to reopen shortly after but fast forward to fall 2024 and hurricanes Debby and Helene left the coffee shop completely destroyed and put them in their food truck which they are currently operating out of. Healey doesn't call it a setback: she calls it the little trailer that could, and after talking with their crew for five minutes, you believe it.
The resolve and refusal to quit mentality of this woman owned small business is not only an inspirational story but testament to the fortitude it takes to own and operate a business in an area that has been so susceptible to natural disaster especially as of late. The Prickly Palm doesn't shy away from the trials and tribulations they've faced but rather wear it as a badge of honor. While the coffee trailer they're currently in is a great spot and more than capable of serving up great food and coffee, their main goal is to return back to their brick and mortar shop where the business once stood.
If any of you are in the Big Bend area of Florida I highly recommend giving this small business your support and stopping for a coffee and a mean breakfast sandwich. And if you aren't in the area and still want to support them they have a GoFundMe link with a goal that will help them get back to their brick and mortar location. What ended up being a random coffee stop before a day on the water turned into an inspiring story about resilience that has stuck with me since. So whether it's stopping for a coffee or chipping in on their GoFundMe, supporting the little trailer that could means supporting something bigger than a small local business: it means backing the kind of resolve that keeps the coast standing, no matter how many times it's knocked down.
https://gofund.me/d0befe74a
See you guys next time
Dylan
