The cure to what ails us is often found when we don’t settle, when we forge through new territory and keep going. The benefit to journeying four blocks south of Second Street in Downtown Fort Myers is a simple, white building in the Gardner’s Park district. Once a grocery store, the nearly century-old space is now home to the boutique and wine shop Remedies Parlor. If not for the inscription reading ‘Provisions,’ ‘Notions’ and ‘Potions’ on the facade, you might think you’re in the wrong place. But, exploration has rewards.
For vintage and modern decor aficionados, Remedies provides a den of inspiration. The shop was founded on about a dozen brands that husband-wife duo Anthony D’Andrea and Tyna Swingler frequently bought for personal use before opening the shop. “We wanted to create a place where we wanted to go—a place to shop, drink and relax with friends,” Tyna says. Inside the gothic-meets-naturalist locale, Chicago-made Tatine artisan candles mix with Anima Mundi Herbal elixirs infused with ethically grown botanicals; Victorian-style tea sets cheekily etched with expletives; and French Délices Métisses cocktail mixers, laden with fresh herbs. Giftable, small-batch dried floral bundles, perfumes and artisan chocolates are sprinkled throughout.
The front of the shop is devoted to decorative items, while the back room—a dimly lit antechamber with antique trays and furnishings, candelabras and vintage milk glass—has larger furnishings and a bottle shop stocked with natural and low-intervention wines and craft beer. Just beyond, a secret garden overflows with philodendrons, air plants and all manner of cacti, which Anthony sources from small Florida growers.
Atmosphere is everything for the couple. Displays are staged in homey vignettes and grouped with like items on shelves, with nearly everything being shoppable (furniture, plants and all). Overhead, moody indie favorites like Lana del Rey mingle with gritty Delta blues from Mississippi icon Son House and the scent of freshly burned palo santo that fills the space. “We almost called it ‘Open House Parlor’ because that’s what we want it to be,” Tyna says.
Tyna and Anthony met in the ’90s while working at Urban Outfitters in Chicago. After moving to Brooklyn and Jersey City, they relocated to Fort Myers in 2004 when Tyna got a job as a stylist with Chico’s. They opened Remedies in 2017 after she got laid off from her corporate gig. “We realized Fort Myers needed more options,” she says. While both of them have a hand in all aspects of the shop, Anthony does most of the buying, focusing on smaller, sustainably driven brands. “That’s what I love when we travel, that sense of discovery when you find an independent shop filled with things you don’t see anywhere else,” he says.
For a duo that has been through every level of corporate retail in a handful of cities, the drive lies in creating an impactful experience and building community through their boutique. The shop made it through the perils of COVID-19 and Hurricane Ian thanks largely to their ability to expand Remedies beyond a storefront.
In the garden, wax-dripping candles illuminate the Old World space, adorned with Grecian nymphs, a long communal table and bistro sets. The couple often partners with fellow local creatives to host immersive experiences in the lush garden—vegan cake tastings; pop-ups with the inventive, vegan-friendly roving hot dog stand The Wurst Street Dogs; bonsai classes; and meditation sessions are common occurrences. For the recent “A Night in the Garden of Good & Evil!” event, burlesque and pole dancing performances accompanied a natural wine tasting.
On weekends, you’ll often find a cluster of regulars in the garden, communing over low-intervention wines and thoughtful, nonalcoholic selections. “The world is crazy, so we don’t talk politics here,” Tyna says. “It’s a safe place for people to come and relax, get away from ordinary life and enjoy themselves.”
Shopping for home goods, sipping and socializing are not panaceas, but when correctly administered, they are restorative boosts to keep you going.
