Adding perks to a Rose

Othello business owner adds new café to boutique

OTHELLO — Desert Rose Designs owner Melody Anguiano said she wants the new Desert Rose Cafe to be the kind of place where people can take their time. She had customers who already spent time browsing the Desert Rose boutique - and besides, she likes a cup of coffee and a conversation with friends, she said. “My dream was just to see people relaxing and meeting here,” Anguiano said. The new cafe, 745 E. Hemlock St., is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. It’s inside the building that has housed Desert Rose Designs for more than a decade. Desert Rose was a floral and gift shop when Anguiano bought it in 2015, and she expanded the gift line and added clothing and accessories to the boutique. Adding a coffee bar seemed like a natural next step. “I wanted the opportunity to invest in the building, and expand,” she said. “It was like, okay, coffee (and) flowers - obvious. Shopping while you’re drinking your coffee.” ...