Struggle Monkey Cafe

08/06/2026

Well, we've gone quiet again, haven't we? The support we've received so far has been so amazing that it's only fair we keep everyone updated. We have unfortunately hit some delays during the construction process and we don't just want to open for the sake of being open, we want to bring the best version of us to all of you when we meet for the first time. So yes, the struggle is real, but take the ride with us and we'll all get there soon enough, together!

07/18/2026

Congrats to .sied19 and on each winning one of our dry fit Struggle Monkey shirts! Please shoot us a message to arrange your prize! Thank you to all who helped spread the word of our struggle... Keep that vibe going and share us so we can have more people involved and do more giveaways in the future!

07/14/2026

Still time until Friday to get entered! Have a friend follow us and if they tag you in the comments, you BOTH could win a Struggle Monkey running shirt!

It's giveaway time! We may or may not have just done a small run of dry fit running shirts and we're looking to give them away. But, there is a catch... You can help us grow our following! Get a new friend to follow either our IG or page (or both, hopefully). When the new friend comments on this thread, have them tag you and you BOTH can win a Struggle Monkey shirt! We will randomly pick our winning pair next Friday!

07/10/2026

It's giveaway time! We may or may not have just done a small run of dry fit running shirts and we're looking to give them away. But, there is a catch... You can help us grow our following! Get a new friend to follow either our IG or page (or both, hopefully). When the new friend comments on this thread, have them tag you and you BOTH can win a Struggle Monkey shirt! We will randomly pick our winning pair next Friday!

07/07/2026

Another day of recipe testing and I think we may have a winner! 🍑🐵 I made the peach cobbler syrup and absolutely loved some of the different drinks I’ve made with it!

The best part? Nothing went to waste! I used the leftover peaches to make a Peach Cobbler Breakfast Casserole, and wow… what a delicious suggestion! It tasted like summer in every bite. Thank you to everyone who keeps sending us ideas, you never know which one might inspire our next café favorite! ❤️

A fun coffee science fact: peach flavor isn’t just about peaches! A tiny splash of almond extract helps enhance the natural stone-fruit flavor because peaches and almonds share many of the same aromatic compounds. Instead of making the syrup taste like almonds, it makes the peach flavor taste richer, sweeter, and more “peachy.” Pair that with oat milk, whose naturally creamy texture and subtle sweetness complement those fruity notes, and you end up with a beautifully balanced drink that tastes remarkably similar to fresh peach cobbler.

Living in South Jersey also gives us something special to celebrate. 🍑 New Jersey is one of the country’s top peach-producing states, and our local season typically runs from early July through September, with many incredible orchards right here in South Jersey. This year’s growing season has been a bit challenging after spring freeze events affected many orchards, so locally grown peaches may be in shorter supply than usual. That makes supporting our local farmers and enjoying every juicy peach we can get even more meaningful this summer.

06/25/2026

.... If you're looking for a sign that progress is happening, here's a literal sign! We now have our name on our home for Struggle Monkey Cafe! It will be said many, many more times in the future, but thank you for following along with our journey and we can't wait to see you in person when we open! In the meantime, please keep sharing and checking up on our social media as we will soon be starting up merch giveaways again!

06/21/2026

Today is a special day to celebrate all fathers, father figures, and to remember those who are no longer with us but remain forever in our hearts.

Mark and I spent the day relaxing, enjoying some quality time together with the kids, and doing what we’ve been doing a lot lately, experimenting with new coffee recipes! Today’s creation was a delicious mocha cherry chaos latte, a sweet blend of rich chocolate and juicy cherry flavors served in our new glasses gifted by family. ❤️🍒☕ The syrup was made from scratch as requested from our post last week.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Father’s Day filled with family, laughter, and great memories. We’re already looking forward to celebrating Father’s Day with all of you at Struggle Monkey Cafe next year. 🤗

Happy Father’s Day from our family to yours! ❤️☕🐒

06/19/2026

Yesterday we had the privilege of volunteering at Cathedral Kitchen in Camden and helping with pre-dinner preparation for the evening meal service.

In preparation for dinner, we assembled extra take-home meal bags to help ensure guests had something for later. Each bag included a sandwich, fruit, a snack, and water. We also spent time decorating placemats with encouraging messages and artwork, hoping to add a little extra warmth and kindness to someone’s day.

Cathedral Kitchen’s mission is to fight hunger and poverty by providing nutritious meals and supportive services that help individuals and families achieve stability and self-sufficiency. Every meal served is an opportunity to show dignity, compassion, and care to members of our community.

Thank you to Cathedral Kitchen for allowing us to be a small part of the incredible work you do each day. Sometimes the simplest acts of kindness can make the biggest difference. ❤️

06/17/2026

Yesterday was a busy day at Struggle Monkey!

First up, we met with Baylie Byrne from ADP to discuss payroll. It was an extremely fun meeting, and we received a ton of helpful information. I’m excited to say that payroll is officially set up, which means we’ll be able to pay our future employees… and apparently people tend to enjoy that. 🤣

We also completed our latest syrup experiment! We tested different methods of making syrups, including boiling, simmering, and using a crockpot. There were some interesting differences, and I’ll be sharing the full results and what we learned tomorrow. 🤗

One of my favorite parts of the day was getting the chance to meet and greet all of our Sharps Run neighbors in the plaza. I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason, and today’s conversations only reinforced that feeling. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, supportive, and excited to see us opening.

I can’t wait to share more of our journey with them and become part of this community. First on my list? I’m hoping to take a class Simply Nestled ! 😊

Every day we’re getting one step closer to opening our doors, and we’re grateful to have so many amazing people around us already.