The Central West End welcomed its newest resident business last week with the opening of Drips Botanical Elements, a plant store with deep roots in the coffee business. They can be found at 387 N. Euclid Ave., where they’ll provide the community with a variety of plants, custom terrariums, jewelry, coffee and more, many of which are sourced from local vendors.
When Tres Johnson opened the first iteration of Drips back in Omaha, it was a full-fledged coffee shop mixed with a gallery for Johnson’s artwork. Then, he met Becki Murabito, who joined the business eight years ago. Their original space flooded in January 2020, just before the pandemic. In the aftermath, they decided to pivot and reopen as a plant shop. Johnson studied horticulture in his hometown of Cape Girardeau, and Murabito worked at her family’s business, Rainbow Gardens, in Omaha. The change came naturally to them. “People were coming in to see the plants in the shop anyway when we closed down,” Johnson said, “so it was kind of morphing into that.”
While Johnson and Murabito have no interest in pursuing the restaurant business again themselves, they are staying true to their roots by offering a variety of coffee beans and ready-to-drink cans from their friends at Dark Matter, based in Chicago. Drips currently carries five different kinds of whole bean coffee from Dark Matter, so every palate can find something to take home. These beans include a special blend that changes monthly, allowing customers the regular chance to try something new.
While Drips Botanical Elements may have been born in Omaha, Johnson lived in St. Louis in his 20s and spent quite a bit of time in the Central West End as an employee of Left Bank Books. He and Murabito traveled back to St. Louis every year to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden, and when the idea arose to move Drips Botanical Elements to St. Louis, their current location on Euclid was the first space they toured.
Both Johnson and Murabito agreed that the name Drips has been a perfect one over the years, even through their evolutions. First, the drips could refer to painting and artwork, then to coffee, and now to the water that nourishes their plants. Many of the other items offered in-store are locally sourced, including from vendors that they discovered at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market.
The space has plenty of natural light from the front-facing window, and the plants are arranged in order of how much light each one needs to thrive, allowing everyone to find something that’s right for their own living space, whether that be cacti or terrariums and everything in between. “Learning how to take care of [plants] is something we do together, and we can walk you through doing it,” Johnson said, “because we want you to keep coming and buying more plants – not because they’re dying, but because you love plants.” Johnson’s custom-made terrariums evolve with his inspiration at the time, and the store carries everything from small jars to large tanks perfect for living creatures (be sure to ask for information about their isopods).
“It’s so cool to be a part of the Central West End because everyone is so supportive,” Murabito said. “We’re really looking forward to joining that and adding what Drips brings to the equation.” Drips Botanical Elements is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.