08/19/2026
🚨 BREAKING NEWS! 🚨 Meadowlark is growing! JP and Sommer McKenzie have announced plans for a second Meadowlark location on Riverside Drive, next to Green’s Grocery! Their original location on Bradford Street, just off the Gainesville square, will remain open.
The new location is still several months away, but it will be much larger, with a mix of communal and smaller tables and something especially exciting: Meadowlark’s own food program.
JP says they’ll stay true to what people already love about Meadowlark, including house-made syrups and award-winning coffee roasters, while adding a small, thoughtful selection of plates inspired by some of their favorite cafés. The kitchen program will come to life with help from the Willmans, whose work at Harvest JP and Sommer have long admired.
The Riverside Drive location will have ample parking and also has a special connection to their family and Gainesville. Sommer grew up swimming at Green Street Pool across the street. In high school, Inn-Between sandwiches were a favorite. And before Meadowlark even had its coffee cart, JP would walk to Green’s Grocery with Larkin in a baby carrier, often looking into the space next door and dreaming about what it could become.
Now, that dream is becoming reality.
“We love our Gainesville community and are excited to not only be able to make a space welcoming to more people, but also more accessible outside of downtown,” JP said.
The McKenzies are also excited about what’s happening along the Riverside Drive corridor and the Robinson family’s plans to update the area while maintaining the character of the neighborhood and its longtime Gainesville icons. Photo courtesy Meadowlark Coffee
