Welcome to the Grazery, where Greg and Melissa Gagne are having the time of their lives sharing their passions.
Stepping in the door, you’re immersed in vital, thriving plants, and the fresh air they’re generating carries the enticing aroma of fine cheese and spices. What paradise is this? Welcome to the Grazery, where Greg and Melissa Gagne are having the time of their lives sharing their passions. Both are born and raised Hudson Valley folks—Greg grew up in Wappingers and Melissa in Gardiner, where they now live.
Their shared gift for food and hospitality led them to build the Red Rooster Cafe into a Gardiner favorite; they ran it for seven years before turning the location over to new ownership to concentrate on home life, their four kids, and their flower farm.
“We both always loved food and hospitality,” says Greg Gagne. “Melissa attended the Culinary Institute [in Hyde Park]. We both worked in many different restaurants before opening Red Rooster, which we sold to Cafe Mio when we started having children. After that, we continued working in restaurants and boutique hotels in management roles. Then we started our farm project, selling wholesale and at weekend farmers markets.”
When they sought to open a plant and flower shop and cafe in 2019, a spot was opening up in Water Street Market in New Paltz. It had been a beloved market called The Cheese Plate.
“We loved Water Street, and the current business was ready to move on,” says Gagne. “We knew we had to have the space. It was perfect for us.”
“We try to provide what the customers are wanting or looking for…It’s great that we can be creative. It allows us to add or change services and offerings as we feel fit.” – Grazery Co-owner Greg Gagne
According to local news coverage at the time, people made it clear that they would miss the cheese, so the Gagnes shifted course ever so slightly and kept the cheese component. As proclaimed on their website, it’s The Cheesiest Plant Shop Around. It’s a unique experience, curated by people who thrive on flavor and beauty and creating an experience for all who enter their realm. “We try to make the whole space speak to you and have a certain feeling of happiness and warmth,” says Gagne. “We try to find the best products and use the best products and local organic produce in our food. We treat everyone like a human and appreciate that they choose us, and we’ll go out of our way to help.”
Whether you’re an expert plant-nurturer with a green thumb looking for new adventures or just want to try bringing a little nature into your home, the Grazery has plants for all skill levels and wise counsel to go with them. Want more relaxing, rejuvenating eucalyptus in your life? Grab a bunch, or get a subscription (a bundle either shipped or picked up on the first of each month for six months). There are also beer and cider subscriptions available, relaxing and rejuvenating in their own right.
“We keep expanding our product line and have been offering more food,” Gagne says. “We try to provide what the customers are wanting or looking for…It’s great that we can be creative. It allows us to add or change services and offerings as we feel fit.”
What fits is as much beauty, flavor, and fun as they can find and generate, and locals and visitors alike are loving it. “Not only is the aesthetic on point, the wine was delicious. Staff was super friendly and overall amazing service. It passes the vibe check completely, and it was such a relaxing experience,” writes a reviewer on Google. “Stopped here with my boyfriend and English bulldog on our way home to NYC,” writes another. “Had the most delicious and unique sandwiches! The store itself also has some really nice products to take home. Highly recommend!” People rave over perfection in grilled cheese, liquid bliss in lavender lemonade, glorious gourmet oils and spices, and the simple delight of a beer on the porch.
The goal was to create a family space where the Gagnes could share what they love with the wider world, and it gets met every day. “We wanted to create an everyday farmers market, stop working in the traditional restaurant setting and have more time for our family and each other,” Gagne says. “We can help people have new experiences: local ciders, great beer, trying new local cheeses.
You can dine with us or take platters home to have dinner or entertain guests. Meanwhile, we can bring our kids there and they can work and play alongside us. And we get to do everything we love— plants, food, flowers. Every day is a busy day. Every day is a great day. What’s better than playing with food and flowers?”
As great establishments with fivestar vibes will do, the Grazery has become a community gathering- space within the Water Street love-fest. The Gagnes have been responding by adding more events, turning Last Fridays into a banquet of tastings and live entertainment. “We have a huge mix: kids buying the best cookies and ice cream, locals stocking up on supplies, college kids getting grilled cheese and cider, a great flow of tourists and day trippers,” says Gagne. “We just want to keep bringing the happiness by being the best we can be: expanding our business and connecting with our community by doing special events, music, popups, and working with our neighbors; staying open later on Friday nights and being more available to people that can’t make it in during our current hours. We strive to go above and beyond and curate a custom experience for our friends and clients.”
Stop in at the Grazery and inhale a deep, relaxing breath of all that goodness. Have a cookie. Ask about that crazy-looking plant you never saw before, and step out on the deck with a glass of wine for some Gunks gazing. We think you’ll find it makes the whole day better.
grazery
10 Main Street, #302, New Paltz
845-255-2444
grazerynewpaltz.com
