FROM THEN TIL NOW

Our business began as a small cafe in 2008, and while we have expanded to include other areas of wellness over the years, the cafe remains the heartbeat of Date & Thyme. Focusing on fresh organic foods and making everything from scratch, our emphasis has always been on serving the most nourishing food possible.

Date & Thyme began as a one room operation, in a charming little space that what was once an early-twentieth century gas station. In less than 300 square feet, Charlie Wilson and her team turned out breakfast, lunch, coffee and freshly-made smoothies every day. After much hard work and passion, what began with two or three employees at a time (we couldn't fit any more!), began to grow into something greater.

During our early years, there was a great need in Key West for more organic produce, and so our weekly Farmer's Market was born. Every Monday morning, tables of fresh fruits and vegetables lined our patio, and our community followed. Two years later when the only supplier of organic produce stopped offering deliveries to the Florida Keys, we had to take matters into our own hands: Rather than compromise our quality, we deepened our relationships with our local South Florida farmers and eventually bought our own refrigerated truck. We set out at 2am every week (organic coffee in hand) to pick up our own deliveries from mainland Florida, and began delivering produce to our fellow cafes and health food stores throughout the keys who had also been affected by the loss.
 
In 2012, the time was right to take another step forward. We expanded our business, taking over the laundromat adjacent to our cafe to open our retail store, and expand our offerings in the cafe. The mission remained the same: provide the freshest organic food possible and make living well easy and accessible to all. With the addition of our market, we were able to provide our community with a broader array of wholesome food and natural groceries. Now with a 10-door walk-in cooler, we were finally able to offer organic produce 7 days a week. To this day, Date & Thyme is the largest purveyor of organic & local produce in Key West.
​
Today, Date & Thyme employs about thirty dedicated staff members who all help make our mission possible day in and day out. We've come a long way from our early days in our one-room shop, but our passion and our purpose remain the same, and continue to inspire us.

WHO WE ARE

CHARLIE WILSON

Founder  |  Visionary

Charlie is a passionate visionary and creator, with a dedication to inspiring and sharing the mindful life. She is a firm believer that life is to be experienced and spent her formative years traveling the world.

It was in her late twenties, due to personal health challenges, that Charlie had her “aha” moment and realized that we have the power to create our own reality, and that what you eat and think have direct effects on your life as a whole.

This realization lead her on a journey of self-discovery as she immersed herself in the world of natural food, nutrition, and spirituality. She moved to New York and studied at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts, while gaining experience in likeminded restaurants.
​
In 2008, Charlie moved to Key West and turned her vision of health and wellness into a reality. With the support of her business partner, a lot of faith, and an unrelenting vision, Charlie has seen Date & Thyme grow from a small take out cafe into a thriving community center.

SIMON BASNER

Founder  |  Business Leadership

Simon is an accomplished businessperson and a patron of the creative arts. He became involved in natural foods stores in the Hudson Valley of NY during his high school years, first working hourly and then creating a market of his own.

The natural foods and yoga community was the perfect fit. He has always been a traveler and an avid reader of metaphysical books, and enjoys a lifestyle close to nature and the waterfront. Simon spent a successful career in a corporate setting, focused on quality and continual process improvements in a team-based organization.

Simon is deeply involved in both the Date and Thyme Cafe & Market in Key West and the Union Arts Center, a performing arts space in Sparkill, NY.

FEELING SOCIAL?