Drunken Monkey Coffee Bar

BUSINESS OF THE MONTH

September, 2021

by Mary McGinn

Larry Hardin and Maureen Hawthorne dreamed up the Drunken Monkey Coffee Bar fourteen years ago.

When Maureen moved from Minnesota to Orlando at 25, she’d noticed there were hardly any coffee shops in Central Florida. For years she’d had it in her head that there needed to be more Orlando coffee shops, so when her boyfriend Larry got laid off from his job of 20 years as a computer programmer, the duo decided to open their own. 

The couple had also noticed another need in Central Florida while eating and drinking in Orlando together: places that cater to different diets. Larry was vegetarian and Maureen was not, so when they cooked up the food and beverage menu at Drunken Monkey they made sure to have options for everyone. 

You’ll find plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free things to eat and drink at Drunken Monkey. Beverages include coffee and espresso options made with beans roasted in-house, as well as tea, shakes, smoothies, sodas, and more. For food, there’s breakfast all day, alongside a large variety of baked goods, paninis, and grilled wraps. You’ll also always find six different soups at the Drunken Monkey Coffee Bar, made by Maureen herself.  

Larry’s favorite thing on the menu at Drunken Monkey is Maureen’s soups (or maybe the vegan and gluten-free lox bagel), while Maureen has a soft spot for the Tantric Mayan, an espresso and milk beverage with the flavors of Mexican spiced chocolate.  

Drunken Monkey is open in The Milk District seven days a week, 365 days a year, and hosts a popular comedy open mic at 8 PM on Saturdays. Larry and Maureen love operating a business in the Milk District, not only because of how centrally located the Milk District is but also because of how many other independently owned small businesses call the Milk District home.