Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Biggs Clark.
Hi Melissa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In 2021, I opened a small shop called Grange Garden in Solana Beach. The name “grange” comes from the farm structures on my aunt’s property in Central Oregon, where I spent much of my childhood. I always loved the simplicity of farm life, and I wanted to create a place that carried a little of that feeling.
My original vision was very small and very quiet. I didn’t advertise. I liked the idea of people discovering the garden on their own. At the time, my daughter was still very young, and I dreamed of building something where she could grow up alongside me — surrounded by plants, animals, and a sense of community.
I’ve always loved animals and grew up with dozens of rabbits. When I started Grange Garden, I was working extremely long days to get the business off the ground, and I didn’t want to leave my bunnies at home. So they simply came with me. They spent the day at the shop and went home with me at night, where they free-roamed and did their zoomies all over the house.
About a year after opening, I added a small boutique coffee kiosk to the garden. The two concepts complemented each other perfectly. Locals would come by for coffee, wander through the garden, and visit the bunnies. It was simple and joyful, and seeing people happy made me happy.
Then something unexpected happened.
One day, a social media influencer posted a short video about Grange Garden on TikTok. Within three days, the video had over 1.3 million views. Almost overnight, our quiet little garden became very busy. Lines formed down the sidewalk as people came to experience the coffee and meet the famously friendly bunnies.
It was never part of my original business plan for the bunnies to become such a big part of the story. They were simply part of my life. But once the attention grew, I knew I had a responsibility to protect them. My job has simply been to protect them while sharing the joy they naturally bring to people.
I reached out to local rabbit non-profits for guidance on proper care, visitor protocols, and education. We implemented strict guidelines for interacting with the rabbits — including supervised enclosures, no chasing or picking up the bunnies, carefully monitored feeding, and scheduled rest breaks. All of our rabbits are spayed or neutered and receive proper veterinary care.
Over time, the garden has grown into something much bigger than I originally imagined. Today, Grange Garden has become a destination for visitors from around the world, and the community that has formed around it continues to surprise me. We’ve also helped rehome and care for many rabbits in need.
At its heart, though, Grange Garden is still the same dream it was when it began — a hidden little garden where people can slow down, enjoy a cup of coffee, and maybe have a bunny hop by.
And I still feel incredibly grateful every day for the love and support of this community.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road.
For the first couple of years, Grange Garden was a very quiet little place. I intentionally didn’t advertise because I loved the idea of people discovering it on their own. We had a loyal local following, but it was small and manageable.
Then everything changed almost overnight.
One summer weekend, an influencer posted a photo holding one of my bunnies while drinking a coffee from the shop. Within a few days, the post had over a million views. The next day, we arrived at the shop, and there was a line out the door and down the block. My husband and I looked at each other and said, “Something happened…what happened?” Someone in line yelled, “You guys went viral!”
At the time, I only had one barista, and we didn’t even have a phone in the shop yet. I was making most of the drinks myself, and suddenly we had crowds of people showing up from all over. It was exciting but also incredibly overwhelming.
We had to move very quickly to keep up. Within days, I was hiring and training new staff, reorganizing operations, and figuring out how to manage the demand while still maintaining the spirit of the garden.
Another major challenge was protecting my bunnies. They were never intended to be the centerpiece of a viral attraction—they were simply part of my life. But once the attention grew, it became my responsibility to make sure they were safe and well cared for while sharing the joy they naturally bring to people.
We expanded their enclosure, implemented strict interaction guidelines, and began supervising all bunny visits. I also reached out to rabbit welfare organizations for guidance to make sure we were doing everything properly.
Looking back, it was a period of intense growing pains. But it also forced us to build better systems and think more carefully about how to grow while staying true to what made the garden special in the first place.
In many ways, the challenge has been learning to balance what grew organically with the reality of suddenly becoming a destination people travel to see.
We’ve been impressed with Grange Garden LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m the founder of Grange Garden, a garden café and gathering spot in Solana Beach that has grown into a thoughtfully designed collection of spaces. What began as a quiet shop has evolved into a series of experiences that encourage people to slow down and spend time together.
Today, the garden includes an outdoor courtyard with a boutique coffee kiosk, a historic cottage housing our indoor café, and a gourmet market offering seasonal provisions and specialty items. Each space has its own character, yet they all share the same idea—creating a relaxed environment where guests can wander, enjoy a coffee, discover something beautiful, and feel as though they’ve found a hidden gem along the coast.
Grange Garden originally began as a small shop filled with preserved florals, European vintage furniture, and garden-inspired finds. My goal was to create a welcoming place that felt like a secret spot people could discover on their own.
One of the most unexpected parts of this experience has been my bunnies. They’ve always been part of my life, and they began spending time with me at the shop during the day. Visitors quickly fell in love with them, and over time they became a gentle, joyful part of the atmosphere. Their well-being always comes first, and we’ve established clear guidelines and education around proper rabbit care and animal stewardship.
What makes Grange Garden unique is that it isn’t designed like a typical café or retail shop—it’s a European-inspired concept shop. Guests might wander through the cottage, enjoy a coffee, visit the bunnies, or stumble upon a seasonal gathering or small event happening in the space.
What I’m most proud of, brand-wise, is the sense of joy and community that has developed around Grange Garden. People come for many reasons—coffee, our signature preserved florals and botanicals, the bunnies, or simply the peaceful atmosphere—and often leave feeling like they’ve discovered something special.
Grange Garden started as a tiny shop I hoped people would quietly discover. Over time, it has grown into a place where people come to slow down, share a coffee, and maybe have a bunny hop by.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I think what I would want readers to know most is that Grange Garden was never built from a business plan—it grew organically from things I genuinely love: animals, gardens, beautiful objects, and creating spaces where people feel welcome.
In a world that often feels fast and noisy, I wanted to create a place that invites people to slow down for a moment. Sometimes that looks like enjoying a quiet cup of coffee in the garden, sometimes it’s discovering a special piece for your home, and sometimes it’s simply sitting with a bunny and smiling for a minute.
What has surprised me the most is how much the community has embraced the space. Watching families return again and again, seeing children grow up visiting the garden, and hearing people say it’s their favorite peaceful spot in town means more to me than anything.
At the end of the day, Grange Garden has always been about small moments of joy. If people leave feeling a little calmer, a little happier, or a little more connected to animals and nature, then I feel like we’ve done something meaningful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://grangegarden.setmore.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grange.garden
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrangeGardenonCedros/
