Buzzed: The former La Prima Deli is now a plant shop that serves coffee
The Wausonian sits down with owner Tammy Bailey to talk about the new shop
Walking by the spot where La Prima Deli once stood for a number of years, the building was quiet for some time.
Then, a sign appeared on the front saying it was the future home of Buzzed, and the windows began filling with plants.
While the name might lead one to believe that the business is a coffee shop that happens to have planets, owner Tammy Bailey explained it’s actually the other way around. Buzzed is a plant shop that happens to sell a limited amount of coffee and pastries.
“It’s 90% plants, 10% coffee/bakery,” Bailey, a dentist by trade, explains. “The focus is mostly on the plants.”
Bailey explains that while there are plenty of coffee shops and bakeries in Wausau, there aren’t many stores that focus exclusively on plants. So Buzzed, which opened in November, is meant to fill that gap.
Many probably remember the building as La Prima Deli, which ran successfully in the location for a number of years. Bailey bought La Prima and ran it with her son for awhile, changing the name before closing the shop altogether.
That left Bailey to decide what to do with the building. She looked for some possible tenants for some time, but nothing quite came together. The space was too big for a tiny cafe, but a little too small for a full-service restaurant, Bailey explained.
“Jokingly I had always said when I retired I would have a nursery and a coffee shop,” Bailey says. “Since I was 30 that’s what I said I wanted to do. So I kind of fell into it.”
Bailey isn’t retired. She still works as a dentist, so the shop is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. And it has plants for just about everyone, from ultra-forgiving snake plants that can thrive in low light, to challenging plants for serious collectors that are tropical and require special care such as the right temperature and moisture control.
In case you’re wondering, succulents which were all the rage last decade are still pretty trendy, Bailey says, and customers also have been pretty interested in the air plants. The very tall leafy plants are catching a lot of attention too.
She’s also working on something with DoorDash so someone can have a plant and a coffee delivered to them. That could be fun for a person for themselves, or it could make a unique gift for someone. I joke that she’s investing PlantDash. “I am,” she agrees.
And yes, while it’s not the main focus, the shop does serve coffee and pastries. Ruby Coffee (headquartered in Amherst) in fact. They make basic espresso drinks, she says. “Come look at plants, and have some coffee while you’re here,” Bailey says.
There are likely to be a lot more people doing just that soon, Bailey agrees. With the Foundry on Third project slated to bring at least 150 people downtown when it is completed later this year, those folks will be looking to decorate their apartments, including with greenery.
And hopefully they’ll grab a coffee while they do it.
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