Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Amoresano.
Hi Lisa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been building, operating, and sometimes selling retail and restaurant concepts for about 25 years, so I think entrepreneurship has always been in my blood. Gypsy Moon started in 2019 as another one of those ideas that I just couldn’t get out of my head — but it has probably evolved more than any business I’ve ever owned.
When we first opened, Gypsy Moon was much more retail-focused. Then COVID happened, and like so many small businesses, we had to figure out how to survive. We pivoted into things people needed and wanted at the time, including meal prep, soups, smoothies and açaí bowls. What started as a necessity ended up teaching me a lot about what our customers wanted from us.
Over the years, I’ve allowed Gypsy Moon to evolve pretty organically. Today, it’s part market, part café, part bookstore and part gathering place. We have coffee, matcha, smoothies and food alongside books, gifts, candles, crystals, tarot, home décor and all sorts of unusual things you may not have known you needed until you found them. We also host book clubs, workshops and events, which have become a really important part of who we are.
More than anything, I wanted to create a place that feels like an experience. I love when someone comes in for a coffee and ends up wandering around for an hour, finds a book, discovers something unexpected, or sits down and starts talking to someone they didn’t know before. I’ve never wanted Gypsy Moon to feel like just another store.
Even the name is personal to me. “Gypsy Moon” was meant to capture that sense of adventure, curiosity, creativity and exploring the world, and “Moon” came from my grandson — it was his first and favorite word.
There have definitely been pivots, mistakes, long days and plenty of learning along the way, but I think that evolution is what made Gypsy Moon what it is today. It has grown into this quirky, cozy, slightly magical little place in Celebration where people can eat, drink, shop, read, gather and hopefully stay awhile. And I’m really proud of that.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not — but after more than 25 years as an entrepreneur, I’ve gotten pretty good at rolling with the punches.
My first store was actually in the Caribbean, and then the 2008 recession hit. That was an early lesson that no matter how good your plan is, there are always things completely outside of your control. You learn very quickly that owning a business is as much about adapting as it is about having a great idea.
Years later, COVID brought that lesson back in a huge way. Like so many small businesses, we had to completely rethink what we were doing almost overnight. Instead of waiting for things to return to “normal,” we pivoted. We leaned more heavily into food, meal prep, soups, smoothies and açaí bowls and found ways to give people what they needed at that moment. Even beer and wine ! Interestingly, some of those changes ended up becoming permanent parts of Gypsy Moon and helped shape the business we have today.
Now we’re navigating a different set of challenges with tariffs, rising costs and the overall expense of doing business. As a retailer, what happens globally eventually makes its way to your shelves. Payroll, merchandise, ingredients, packaging, shipping and everyday operating supplies have all become more expensive. Small businesses don’t have the purchasing power of large corporations, so you’re constantly trying to balance keeping things affordable for your customers while maintaining a sustainable business.
Then, of course, there are the everyday realities — staffing, inventory, food costs, changing customer habits and figuring out what works and what doesn’t.
If there’s one thing the Caribbean, the 2008 recession, COVID and everything since have taught me, it’s that you can’t be afraid to pivot. I try not to become so attached to what a business was supposed to be that I miss what it could become. You roll with the punches, learn from what isn’t working and keep moving forward. Sometimes the biggest challenges are actually what push you toward your best ideas.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Gypsy Moon Market?
Gypsy Moon is a little difficult to put into one category — and I think that’s exactly what makes us special.
We’re part café, part market, part bookstore and part gathering place. You can come in for an açaí bowl, smoothie, matcha or really great cup of coffee and end up leaving with a book, a candle, a crystal, something witchy, a quirky collectible or something you absolutely did not come in looking for!
I always say Gypsy Moon is more of an experience than a store. I want people to wander. I want them to pick things up, discover something new, sit with a coffee, flip through a book, talk to us and stay awhile. We carry an eclectic mix of books, gifts, home décor, wellness items and mystical and unusual finds, alongside a café menu that includes smoothies, açaí bowls, espresso drinks, matcha, teas, paninis and other fresh options.
Books have become an increasingly important part of Gypsy Moon, and we’re continuing to grow that collection. We love fantasy, romance, witchy reads and books that fit the personality of the shop, but we’re always discovering and adding more.
Community is also a huge part of what we’re building. We host book clubs, workshops and other small events that give people a reason to come together and actually connect. To me, retail doesn’t have to simply be about buying something. It can be social, creative and experiential.
I think what sets us apart is that we’re not trying to look or feel like every other store. Gypsy Moon is quirky. It’s a little bohemian, a little celestial, a little magical and constantly evolving. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and I think our customers feel that when they walk through the door.
Brand-wise, that’s probably what I’m most proud of. Gypsy Moon has developed a personality of its own. People recognize the feeling of it. There is always something new to see, taste, read or experience, but somehow it still feels unmistakably like Gypsy Moon.
Most of all, I want people to know that you don’t have to be looking for anything in particular to come see us. Come grab a drink, browse the books, find something weird, sit for a while, join a book club or take a workshop. We’re creating a place where you’re welcome to just hang out — and hopefully leave a little happier than when you came in.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is to stay flexible and trust yourself.
After more than 25 years in business, I’ve learned that very little goes exactly according to plan. Markets change, customers change, economies change, and sometimes the entire world changes overnight. You can spend forever creating the perfect business plan, but at some point you have to be willing to listen, adapt and make decisions with the information you have in front of you.
I’ve also learned not to be afraid of failure. Not every idea works, not every product sells and not every decision is going to be the right one. You learn, adjust and move on. I think some of my best ideas have actually come from things that didn’t go according to plan.
Most importantly, don’t become so attached to what you thought something was supposed to be that you miss what it has the potential to become. Gypsy Moon today is very different from where it started, and I’m incredibly proud of that. Growth doesn’t always mean following the original plan — sometimes it means having the courage to change it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gypsymoonmarket.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gypsymooncelebration/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gypsymooncelebration/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@gypsymooncelebration
