Photography by Kelsey Shoemaker
Ralph & Rose Café doesn’t want to be the garden’s secret.
Tucked inside North Haven Gardens, the cafe grew from the debris of the 2019 tornado. Regulars might brag that they knew it when it was named The Cabinet, the former cafe that was destroyed. The Pinkus family had been waiting to rebrand it for some time.
“It was kind of a blessing in disguise,” Aaron Pinkus says.
For the Pinkus family, it wasn’t about starting over, it was about looking forward. The new cafe reopened in 2021 as Ralph & Rose, named after Ralph Pinkus, the garden’s grandfather.
“Right after the storm, when we were walking through the debris, there was one wall that had a picture of my grandfather,” Aaron says. “It was perfectly intact. Everything else was thrown all over the place.”
The “Rose” in the name isn’t from the popular Rose Week but from Aaron’s eldest daughter, Tera Rose.
In 1951, Ralph and his wife Muriel Pinkus opened North Haven Gardens and in the ‘70s, incorporated their sons Jon and David, blossoming into a family business.
Aaron, now at the helm of the garden, recalls his earliest days spent among the plants, where he would eagerly assist customers with their carts in exchange for a quarter. Later, he would work with the family’s landscaping business. Now, he oversees the garden’s operations.
Going into a new project meant finding new inspirations that fit into North Haven Gardens’ history without breaking tradition. Aaron and his wife Pamela, avid travelers to Napa Valley and Europe, wanted to bring a pocket of California back to Texas. During their trips, they would see that nurseries had a cafe. The cafe and boutique takes inspiration from Farmstead in Napa Valley and Tiny Box in Houston. Pamela intentionally chose the tiles, furniture and decor to welcome some of that West Coast inspiration. Together, it marries the rustic comfort of Napa with the verdant garden.
“It just seemed like a way for me to be part of the business,” Pamela says. “All the women in the family have contributed (to the garden) in some way or another. His grandmother was involved in garden clubs, his mom ran the landscape department and I was like, ‘What’s mine going to be?’ And then the tornado happened and I was like, ‘Here’s how I can help and how I can be part of it.’”
The coffee bar complements the cafe’s menu with traditional creations brewed with beans sourced from local roasters. Alongside the cafe, the boutique houses curated home goods and garden-inspired decor.
“I’ve always said, ‘I want another business that doesn’t have perishables.’ Well, we started a restaurant, which has far more perishables,” Aaron jokes. “The restaurant is a very difficult business to run, but I’ve been impressed. It was difficult at first for me to understand what traits I needed from each position. We’ve got a great staff now. It’s just a whole different ball game.”
During the summer, their children Chandler and Tera Rose will be at the garden, continuing the family legacy. Tera will usually sit on the counter and write personal thank you notes to the customers and Chandler likes to find rollie pollies and help fill cups of ladybugs to spread across the garden.
“They actually love it,” Aaron says. “It’s funny because when I was younger, I had a hard time coming around just because I was an athlete and wanted to go play basketball with my friends. They love coming around here. They’re friends with everyone and the staff.”
In the future, Ralph & Rose hopes to add more space for an outdoor patio in the back for more scenic seating, live music and drinks.
“(We want to) turn this into more of a community environment,” Aaron says. “To the neighborhoods outside, come in and enjoy the day in nature.”
Ralph & Rose, 7700 Northaven Road, (214) 360-1555. shopralphandrose.com
