Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Broderick
Hi Kate, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Opening Moon River Cafe & Curiosities has been a lifetime in the making, I still remember the excitement when my mother hosted my first tea party. I was just seven years old, and a gaggle of the neighborhood children were my guests. The way my mother transformed an otherwise unremarkable Wednesday morning into a lavish experience centered in community seemed like magic. That moment planted a seed rooted in wonder.
Since then, I’ve had incredible opportunities, spending some time living in Europe, falling into the enchantment of European café culture. During my travels in Asia, I toured tea farms–an otherworldly experience where these ancient and gnarled jade-green trees shaped mountains, hazy yet shining as the sun danced off their morning dew. I learned to appreciate the centuries of human effort that have refined the cafe space: from the farmers’ years-long efforts, to the artisans that crafted each aspect of the hospitality experience, to the cafe owner that set the stage and transformed the space for community to connect.
So, while the cafe dream had been peppered through my life since childhood, it never felt like a practical reality. As a young 20-something, I made the pivot to attend law school after failing to secure funding for the patisserie school I had dreamed of attending in Paris. I was working in corporate law in New York City when the whirlwind of the pandemic hit. Unfortunately, after contracting the virus, I developed severe complications, leading me to depend on a 24/7 oxygen machine and floppy as a limp noodle anytime I tried to get out of bed. On a bad day, which was most days, I was unable to walk across the room without my oxygen levels dropping to the 70s (normal is between 96 and 100; anything less than 80 is considered “danger to life”). I moved back to Florida, and my mom became my main caretaker for over a year. She is the only reason I survived this health scare, as she dedicated months to driving me to the best hospitals all across Florida, searching for an answer. One one regret, which became my dream to cling to, was never opening the cafe. I promised myself that if I pulled through, I would finally open my long-dreamed of cafe alongside my lifelong mentor and champion, my mother, Mary.
After nearly two years, understanding of the coronavirus advanced so that my underlying issue was finally addressed. It felt like life, literally, was rebreathed into my body as I regained the normal daily functions we take for granted. On the exact same day I received the “all clear” notice from my doctor, my mom and I were walking–me, walking! with no assistance or oxygen!–through Downtown Melbourne. A corner space, which had been my dream cafe location since high school, had a “for lease” sign in the window–this was the first time the space had been available in something like 42 years. I realized that this was it. This was the moment the much cherished dream of the cafe had finally arrived. I’ve spent about a year lovingly but painstakingly curating an array of antique furnishings, painting my heart out to pay homage to the European cafe scene, and developing an enticing menu for our guests. We’ve been connecting with local arts organizations to expand the arts in Brevard, and will be publishing our very own literary magazine this year.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been an incredibly bumpy road, but that has only made me more determined! After finally pulling through my own severe health struggles, the toll of being my primary caretaker I think finally caught up with my mom. After signing the lease for the cafe, we discovered my mom would need back surgery. The surgery was more complicated than we expected, so she was out-of-commission for several months. When she had only just begun recovering, she experienced a heart attack. The week she finally was on the mend, post-heart attack, hurricane Milton hit. While thankfully we did not receive anywhere near the damage as other areas, the cafe unfortunately took some damage, delaying opening by about a month as repairs are completed.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Our unique angle of Moon River Cafe is our intention to serve as a haven for the arts in Central Florida. The local arts community has been so deeply supportive in my time as a fledgling artist. I hope to help nourish the creative community, including hosting the Galleria, our world-class art gallery, and offering a diverse array of creative workshops in partnership with local arts organizations.
As an artist myself, I specialize in painting and the written word. I have taken the opportunity as an artist to heart in opening the cafe, painstakingly crafting each element of the cafe experience to maximize the arts. This means spending over 100 hours hand-painting the ceiling tiles, and immeasurable time painting various interior murals based heavily upon European classics–from menu boards based upon the Gallery of Maps at the Vatican Museum, to an expansive mural based upon the Napoleon III apartments at the Louvre. Even the baby changing stations feature hand-painted scenes from Russian folklore. I am hoping to create a place of “curated moments”: when you are at Moon River, I hope you have the unique experience of being at Moon River, of appreciating this beautiful and fleeting moment in time.
My personal art is flavored heavily by the impressionist movement and centers on the nostalgia of childhood. You can see more here: theartistcalledkate.com.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
“Mans Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankl fundamentally shifted my approach to life. I think part of my winding journey through corporate law to finally reconnecting with myself as an artist and a cafe-owner was fear. Pursing a career in law was the conventionally “easy” choice–easy in that the pathway was secure and “success” was assured. Frankl, a survivor of the holocaust, proposes the idea that we treat this life as if we’ve already died. Every choice we could ever have made, we’ve already made. This life, our current life, is our opportunity to go back and make different choices. This approach helped me reclaim agency within my own life, reminding me that we have control in our daily choices. Most significantly, it helped me make choices away from a place of fear. Instead of hedging my bets, or making choices down a path that mitigates risk, it gave me the space to allow myself to choose the path that felt right for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://themoonrivercafe.com
- Instagram: @themoonrivercafe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Moon-River-Cafe-Curiosities/61557348156870/
