A new cafe and collective marketplace opened by a Fort Walton Beach family aims to create a community gathering space that supports local artisans while serving coffee, fresh food and homemade pastries. 

• Small batches, owned by Cassie Cole along with her family, will hold its grand opening on July 12 at 301 Racetrack Road NW. The business combines a cafe operation with a retail space featuring more than a dozen local vendors selling everything from ceramics to vintage clothing. 

“For us, it’s having a place where everybody can go and be comfortable and enjoy time here,” Cassie Cole said. “It’s so busy in the summer and everybody’s working really hard. Then in the winter, it’s a place where locals can still come. This space is more for the locals to enjoy themselves and to just bring the community together.” 

Cole envisions the space as an extension of home for customers. “I just want it to be a welcoming space, and an exciting place to hang out,” she said. “It’s like an extension of my home. It looks a lot like my house with the design and everything so I just want it to feel like home for others.” 

The handcrafted interior reflects the family’s personal touch throughout the space. All tables were handmade by Cassie along with her mother and father, while the counter and coffee bar were built by a family friend. Hand-painted signs and in-house murals adorn the walls, creating an artisanal atmosphere that extends beyond the vendor offerings.

The family emphasized sustainability and community connections in furnishing the space, with almost all furniture either handmade or secondhand. Chairs were given new life through spray painting after being salvaged from the former Shoney’s pizza shop on Highway 98, having previously lived in the Thai restaurant that occupied the current Small Batches location. 

The eclectic decor includes vintage Tiffany-style stained glass light fixtures and a Victorian couch, with pieces sourced through Facebook Marketplace and local establishments including Repeat Street Thrift and DeFrance.

The Cole family brings diverse experience to the venture. Cassie Cole, a marketing graduate who studied in Ireland, works with her father’s J-1 visa program coordinating cultural activities for international students. Sister Madison Cole contributed 10 years of restaurant industry experience, primarily at Crab Trap on Okaloosa Island. 

• Their mother, Gena Cole, serves as the business accountant and baker, while father Lawrence “Clif” Cole brings restaurant district management experience from franchises including KFC and Hardee’s. Brother Easton Cole also works at the business, and sister Emily Cole traveled from Tallahassee to help with interior projects.

The operation extends beyond immediate family members, with cousins and close family friends serving as employees. Staff also includes Hunter who works with Gena Cole at Northwest Florida Ballet, Chelsea who teaches at Edwins Elementary, and Reily who previously worked with Cassie at another coffee shop and brings trained barista experience. Aunt Tobie also comes in to bake her own small batches, contributing items like ‘ooey gooey butter cake’ and rolling bars to the cafe’s offerings.

The cafe menu features locally-inspired signature drinks with names like “Lower Alabama,” “Navy Street” and “Matterhorn Dune,” along with seasonal offerings such as key lime pie matcha and bomb-pop dirty soda. Food options include acai bowls, bagels, sandwiches and toast varieties, with an “Easton sandwich” named after Cassie’s brother featuring house-made peach preserves. 

Small Batches partners with Queen of Flavor, operated by Lasheeda Perry, who has appeared on Food Network and competed on “Beat Bobby Flay.” The business sources coffee from Pensacola’s Alla Prima roaster and works with local distributor City Produce. 

• The marketplace component focuses on supporting local businesses. “I want the collective side to feel like a market every day,” Cassie Cole said. “I think people really enjoy markets, but this one is inside and air conditioned.” 

The marketplace features 12 confirmed vendors, including Lucy’s Gardens offering ceramics and backyard-grown flowers, TNT Threads selling curated vintage apparel, and 4evermore Jewelry providing permanent and handmade jewelry. Other vendors include Echoes Antiques, Bama Mans Jams pickles from Panama City Beach, Pyrographic Wonders wood burning art, Ester’s Fabric Art using recycled textiles, and Panhandle Plants offering locally-grown indoor plants. 

Additional vendors include Bit-o-Beans creating tote bags from recycled fabrics, jewelry artist Celeste, and a planned “blind date with a book” featuring repurposed books.

The business operates every day except Wednesday’s from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday’s, with plans to extend hours when school resumes. Cole said the family aims to add an outdoor area for live music and additional community events.

Planned events include a Silent Book Club gathering on July 19 and paint-and-plant workshops. The business is exploring a coffee cupping event with Mythos Coffee roaster for the grand opening. 

The grand opening on July 12 begins at 8 a.m. and will feature drink promotions, pastries, cake and product tastings, with family members and employees available to meet customers, showcase the vendor offerings and have a short ribbon cutting ceremony.

For more information about Small Batches, follow the business on Instagram @small.batches_fwb.