First Posted: 3/4/2013

It began as a quick conversation.

The Vintage Theater in Scranton was moving venues and was about to forego the cafe they had – but then Katie Trott and Chelsea Collins put their heads together.

The two friends and recent graduates of Temple University and Marywood University, respectively, decided they wanted to give running a cafe a shot, and Morning Glory Cafe was born.

“It was really spur of the moment,” Trott said. “We got everything together in about a month and a half.”

Morning Glory Cafe moved into its spot, connected to the Vintage Theater (326 Spuce St., Scranton), in September and had its grand opening this past weekend.

“It was nerve-racking, starting a new business,” Trott said, “but it’s all coming together.”

Morning Glory serves up coffee, baked goods, and lunch fare, specializing in paninis and churning out unique drinks, such as a pumpkin smoothie in the fall and some anticipated lavender syrup for spring-themed, flowery drinks.

The twist, however, is that everything in the new eatery is organic. Both Trott and Collins have a great appreciation for the environment and wanted to express that through Morning Glory.

“In college, taking classes, I learned some things that really surprised me,” Trott said. “For example, a lot of the coffee we get is a product of chopping down hundreds of acres of rainforest.”

The girls use Green Street Roasting in Philadelphia to get their beans.

“They ensure that it’s organic,” Trott said. “They’re brothers, and they visit the farms they work with to make sure everything is ethical and moral.”

For the time being, as far as food is concerned, the girls are frequenting Wegmans in order to garner supplies, but Trott said that will change come spring.

“It’s a little tough in the winter and since we just got started, but in the spring, we’re looking to work with organic farms to bring in what we need.”

The mood of the cafe is one of comfort and friendliness, and even the decor runs along the line of going green.

“Our furniture is very unique,” Trott said. “Our tables are made from old palettes. We’re in the old space of the Electric Theater Company, so we have their vintage couches. All the pieces are disconnected but come together in the end.”

While some hear “organic” and automatically think “expensive,” Trott wants to make sure clients know that’s not the case at Morning Glory.

“We worked our hardest to make everything affordable so that anyone from the Scranton community can come in and enjoy what we have to offer.”

Morning Glory Cafe, 326 Spruce St., Scranton. Hours: Mon – Wed: 3-10 p.m., Thu. – Sat: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sun: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.