CYou Luxury Boutique Coffee and Wine Bar in Lakewood Ranch has hosted 350 events in its first year, and owner Cyndi Garza is adding a coffee brand called Coast Roast.

Personal loss inspired the concept

The boutique at 8209 Natures Way, Suite 121, blends coffee, wine, fashion and event space under one roof, with a target audience of women over 50. Garza, a Sarasota native and former mortgage banking leader, told Your Observer the shop grew out of personal loss. Between November 2022 and June 2023, she lost her mother, Gay, to a heart attack; her brother, Roger, to a car crash; and her father, Roger, to a heart attack.

Each family member shaped a piece of the business. Her mother once ran her own clothing shop. Her father visited the same coffee shop every day. Her brother was an entertainer. Garza said the boutique honors all three.

She had journaled about opening a coffee boutique for 20 years before her husband, Andy, and daughters Alex and Franceska pushed her to finally pursue it.

"Society can sometimes think we don't care at 50, like we're just going to retire and be quiet," Garza told Your Observer. "But we have a lot of life in us and we want to feel good about ourselves."

Events and services drive first-year growth

The shop's name came from a list Garza made of every woman she had known throughout her life. She said she noticed a common thread: many did not feel seen. The name is meant to convey that customers are noticed and valued when they walk in.

Over its first year, CYou has hosted wine tastings, floral arranging classes, networking groups, bridal showers, book clubs and Bible studies. The shop also offers one-on-one personal styling with stylist Karin Gifuni. Barista Josie Best handles the cafe side, which features gluten-free pastries made without seed oils and coffee ground fresh with every cup.

New coffee brand and store hours

Details on Coast Roast, including pricing and a launch date, have not been announced.

CYou is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. The shop is closed Sundays. More information is available at CYouBoutique.com or by calling 354-9940.