Diner Chic: Two Thrifty Girls Cafe and Boutique in Punta Gorda, Florida

It's always great when a place opens up in your town that feels like "you." Feeling like "us" means funky diners and cafes - we're not much up for fancy-shmancy over-priced, over-rated places these days. We like places where you can get a nice breakfast or good old-fashioned sandwiches on homemade bread with good quality ingredients. Comfort food that's not unhealthy - and at a reasonable price - that's what makes us smile nowadays.

Us. Smiling.

Oh my god, I sound like an old person. Well, that's all right - I think the older you get, the more you appreciate simple things done well!

So we were delighted when the Two Thrifty Girls cafe and boutique/gift shop opened here in Punta Gorda, Florida. Yep - you read that right, it's a cafe AND a boutique - I can't think of a better combination than that!

The two thrifty girls are Betty and Natalie, Punta Gorda locals who don't just want to run a cafe and shop; they want to make a positive difference in the community. So they are involved in providing meals and supplies to homeless kids and have lots of other great ideas for community involvement once they've got the business more well-established. Here's what they've got going on or have planned for their unique place:

Cafe & Boutique
Clothing
Antiques
Housewares
Books
Artwork
Dog Friendly
Art & Cooking Classes

Betty and Natalie have created the most charming and delightful place! The decor is what I'd call "Diner Chic." There's  a retro diner feeling to it, but everything is colorful, light and bright and very classy.

Let's begin with outside:

The cafe is located in Punta Gorda's historical district in one of the cottages on Taylor Street. The red and white theme is happy and inviting - it would take a lot of willpower to drive by and not stop!

Outside, there are picnic tables on the front lawn and tables and chairs on the porch for enjoying the beautiful Florida weather.

Moving inside....

When you step inside, you find yourself in  this room, where you place your order. You can see the retro stools and charming, colorful decor. That's one of the "girls" behind the counter, and Dick (RVPainter) trying not to ogle the goodies in the bakery display.

Same room, looking in the other direction:

See that guitar hanging up high on the wall? That guitar belonged to Barry Gibbs of the Bee Gees.

Here's a closer look:

And moving further into the shop:

More retro (and very comfy) seating. Here you can see into the boutique area in the room beyond. Lots of cute stuff in there! New and almost new clothing at great prices. Wait'll you see what I got for $4.99!

Same room, another view:

And there's more...

The children's room - books, games, toys

Jewelry, bags, etc...

This is what I bought "almost new" in the boutique- the striped top was only $4.99!!!!

And oh, yeah, you probably want to know about the food! Dick had the egg and sausage sandwich on croissant and I had the egg and apple-smoked bacon sandwich on croissant. All the meats and cheeses are Boar's Head products. These were delicious! It seems silly to say that it was the best breakfast sandwich we'd ever had, but it was! So we had two egg sandwiches on croissant and coffee with free refills, and the bill came to $11 and a little change (including tax)!

They sent us on our way with a chocolate chunk cookie. It got a little melty on the way home but you can see it looks pretty good. I'll let you know after I've eaten it!

So, if you are in the area or find yourself passing through,

please check out this wonderful, happy, beautiful little place.

Go to their website to see a fuller description of everything they offer:

TWO THRIFTY GIRLS

Currently open Tuesday through Friday 8 to 4.

Two Thrifty Girls is located at

321 Taylor Street, Punta Gorda, Florida

Phone: (941) 347-8084

www.twothriftygirls.com