2-minute read
Six months after opening their Winter Haven location, Concord Coffee launched its third location in Polk County. On July 1, the local coffee shop opened inside Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital at 4000 Lakeland Highlands Road.
“Orlando Health has a history of partnering with local coffee roasters,” hospital officials said. “Concord’s commitment to quality, cleanliness, and customer service aligned with the Orlando Health way.”
Concord began roasting and serving craft coffee in Lakeland in 2015. They expanded to Gainesville in 2019, opened the Winter Haven location in January of 2026, and set up shop in the new hospital in July.
A chance meeting during a video production shoot between Concord co-owners TJ Zimmerman and Andy McEntire and Carlos Carrasco, senior vice president of Orlando Health Midwest Florida Region, led to the partnership.
The project moved fast, progressing from early conversations to open doors in about six months.
“We are happy to have Concord Coffee serving in our cafeteria and keeping our staff and visitors energized,” said Dawn Willis, Orlando Health community relations manager. “We love supporting local businesses and the Zimmermans and McEntires — the owners — are wonderful partners.”
Coffee as comfort
The new location comes with early wake-up calls. Hours of operation are 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
According to Zimmerman, the space is different from your typical coffee shop. “I joke that it feels like a hotel — it’s amazing and beautiful inside. They really have changed the map on what a hospital can be. When the weather changes, there’s a nice, huge outdoor patio, and there is all this natural light coming in.”
In addition to the hospital staff, patients, and families, locals are stopping in for coffee, says Zimmerman. “Like any hospital, you have to get checked in,” he said. “But we’ve got people coming in who say, ‘I just wanted to go to the coffee shop,’ and the security guards are surprised. People are literally coming in off the street to support us. Seeing that people are actively seeking out this location has been really cool.”
“I absolutely adore my time at the shop,” said barista Stella Shank. “Getting to serve customers, nurses, and patients a cup of coffee that makes their day just a little bit better also makes mine better.”
On the menu
As they expand, the coffee shop’s foundation remains consistent: direct-trade coffee roasted locally, house-made syrups crafted with no high-fructose corn syrup, and fresh daily food from Uncle Nick’s Italian Deli and Bagels. Concord offers in-store and pick-up, and monthly subscriptions for patrons, and wholesale options for business partners.
According to Zimmerman, while a hot vanilla latte is still the favorite, and all locations are serving pumpkin spice for fall, the hospital location offers some exclusive options.
Patrons will find seasonal drinks — the shop currently features a s’mores latte and a Swedish princess cake latte — alongside treats from Spurzile, a local bakery owned and operated by an Orlando Health nurse and her husband.
Advice for fellow entrepreneurs
For other small business owners looking to partner with larger institutions, Zimmerman’s takeaway is simple:
“Don’t be afraid to open the conversation. Even if it’s something that you see that is like, ‘How could we achieve this? How could this even be possible?’” he said. “You just have to have and be open to those dialogues with people because you never know what those conversations can turn into.”
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