I’ve lived in Tallahassee for quite a few years, and for most of that time I was a huge RedEye fan. I used to rave about their coffee and genuinely considered it my favorite café in town. Unfortunately, ever since it was bought by the owner of Argonaut, it feels like it has completely lost what made it special.

The menu changes have been especially disappointing. RedEye used to have so many options, and the food was actually customizable. There were plenty of vegetarian choices, and it was easy to substitute or remove pork and other meat products. Now, the food menu is mostly set, pre-prepared items with very little flexibility. As someone with dietary restrictions, there are barely any food options I can actually order anymore. And now they’re painting over the frog mural, which honestly feels like the perfect representation of everything I dislike about the changes. It was such a recognizable and quirky part of RedEye and gave the place some actual personality. Why take over a beloved local coffee shop and then slowly remove the things that made it feel local and unique in the first place?

More than anything, the whole place just feels different. RedEye used to feel like a genuinely local coffee shop with its own personality, a great menu, and something for everyone. Now it feels like the focus is on cutting down the menu, simplifying everything, and maximizing profit. Maybe some people like the changes, but for me, RedEye has lost a lot of the heart and soul that made me love it in the first place. Between the stripped-down menu, lack of dietary options, and now painting over something as iconic as the frog mural, it feels less and less like RedEye. It’s especially disappointing because this was a place I happily supported and recommended for years.