Plants! Who doesn’t love plants? It was only a few months ago that a new plant store opened in Bay View, and a plant pop-up popped up on the East Side. Now, another homegrown plant store is set to take up roots in Milwaukee: Maranta Plant Shop, the city’s first Black- and Brown-owned plant shop, will open at 1739 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on Wednesday, April 14. Milwaukee Day!
Milwaukee natives Michelle Alfaro and Mag Rodriguez founded Maranta six months ago as a pop-up operating out of a Walker’s Point warehouse. With their new Bronzeville storefront, the pair will specialize in plants “curated by Michelle and Mag through various nurseries and distributors from all over the country,” and carry items like Philodendron Weeks Red Hybrid, Licuala Grandis, Monstera Pinnapartita, Anthurium Crystallinum, Alocasia Black Velvet, and more.
“Being Milwaukee’s first Black and Brown-owned plant shop reminds me that we are vessels in this city,” Alfaro says in a press release. “We hope Maranta will only add to Bronzeville’s growing and thriving black community which carries such a rich history.”
“The Maranta storefront is just the first phase of what we hope to bring to Bronzeville,” Rodriguez adds. “In just six months we have exceeded our expectations and the abundance of love from Milwaukee has only motivated us to keep building on our mission.”
A limited-capacity grand opening is set for April 14. All houseplants will be 30% off, and free plants will be gifted to the first 25 customers. Find more information HERE, and read the full press release below:
Milwaukee’s First Black and Brown-owned Plant Shop Opens In Bronzeville
Six months after the launch of the plant pop up, Maranta Plant Shop is now opening a brick & mortar
Milwaukee, WI (April 12th, 2020) – Maranta Plant Shop, a six-month-old Milwaukee-based plant pop is launching its official store. Throughout the fall and winter, Maranta focused on making the experience of discovering the perfect houseplant accessible and COVID-safe for everyone. Maranta provided a highly curated selection of plants that were available online for curbside pick up Thursday through Sunday at their Walker’s Point warehouse. After the success of the online business, Maranta will open for in-store purchases as Milwaukee’s first and only Black & Brown-owned plant shop on April 14th, 2021 located at 1739 N Doctor Martin Luther King Jr Drive.
Maranta Plant Shop was founded by Milwaukee-natives, Michelle Alfaro and Mag Rodriguez. Michelle is a plant lover and herb enthusiast from Milwaukee, WI with 5 years of experience in caring for indoor plants and alternative medicine. Mag Rodriguez is a local creative entrepreneur and currently leads the gener8tor Music program as the Managing Director.
“Being Milwaukee’s first Black and Brown-owned plant shop reminds me that we are vessels in this city. We hope Maranta will only add to Bronzeville’s growing and thriving black community which carries such a rich history,” said Michelle Alfaro, co-founder of Maranta.
“The Maranta storefront is just the first phase of what we hope to bring to Bronzeville. In just six months we have exceeded our expectations and the abundance of love from Milwaukee has only motivated us to keep building on our mission,” said Mag Rodriguez, co-founder of Maranta.
Maranta Plant Shop offers the midwest’s most diverse and unique selection of plants carefully curated by Michelle and Mag through various nurseries and distributors from all over the country. Some of their most unique items include:
Philodendron Weeks Red Hybrid
Licuala Grandis
Monstera Pinnapartita
Anthurium Crystallinum
Alocasia Black Velvet
Maranta’s grand opening will be a day for both plant lovers and the larger Milwaukee community to share and celebrate the city through COVID-19 safe parameters. Join the Maranta team for 30% off all houseplants all while practicing social distancing. Maranta will be gifting free plants to the first 25 customers. The store will be at limited capacity so customers should come ready to congregate outside while they wait to pick out their new greenery.
