Monarch Pastries and Coffee House celebrated their grand opening on Oct. 18, 2025, and have since been blending house-made drinks and community-building in their cozy space.

The shop is owned by husband-and-wife duo Victoria and Dillion Seals, and has quickly positioned itself as not just coffee shop, but as a space designed foster connection.

“We started the brick and mortar as a way to both give back to and connect the community,” said owner Victoria Seals. “I think there’s a large gap among people in the world these days, and there’s not as much connection. That’s what I wanted this place to be—a hug for people to come in and live their lives.”

Their new location is an evolution of a coffee cart the couple launched in December 2024. What began as a small test concept quickly gained traction among the communities they were part of. The Seals’ say their coffee brewing has always been driven by their love of the craft. And now, also by their love of bringing people together.

“It’s our love language to just go to the coffee shops and try something new,” Seals said. “Anytime we travel, we build our plans around how many coffee shops we can hit without giving ourselves an overdose of caffeine.”

Inside Monarch, that love shows up in the details. Seals describes herself as a “comfort girly,” drawing inspiration from antique stores and similarly snug spaces. Monarch’s interior accomplishes this by blending warm vintage touches with refreshing elevated textures that do end up feeling like a nice, soft hug.

“My vision behind it was just creating a place of comfort for people, where they can come in and be at ease,” Seals said. “It’s not overly-sterile, where you feel like you can’t do anything.”

The menu reflects this same intentionality. While the shop uses beans that can be found in other local coffee shops, Monarch sets itself apart with their syrups, which they craft in-house.

“I like the concept of knowing what’s in our product,” said Seals. “We’re able to specialize our drinks to our own favorite flavor profiles, and not somebody else’s recipe.”

Aside from simply being present in their community, Monarch’s identity centers around small but impactful efforts to make things that one bit better.

Their “Good Things” jar invites customers to write down positive things in or about their lives, or other positive words, to encourage reflection in a world often dominated by negative headlines.

“You see a lot of bad things on the news,” Seals said. “But this can help brighten our community’s day by seeing or writing those, because it helps people to reflect on good things that have happened in their life.”

A pay-it-forward board is also present, sheeted with notes on cup sleeves written by customers that have already covered the cost of a future patron’s drink for a flat fee of $6. Anyone in need of a beverage and who resonates with a particular note is able to redeem it for one, free of charge.

Some of Monarch’s regulars are already building traditions inside the space, like gathering at the shop’s bar to purposefully share life updates with both each other and the owners, who say that even these seemingly small moments matter.

“If I’m just taking an order at the register, I try to make it as much of a personal interaction as possible,” Seals said. “Because that may be the only positive interaction somebody gets in a day.”

For students, remote workers, or anyone seeking a meaningful community space, Monarch Pastries and Coffee House offers more than just a place to grab a drink or treat.

Monarch Pastries and Coffee House is located at 2114 El Dorado Blvd, Friendswood, TX 77546, just outside of the immediate Clear Lake area. For more information, you can call them at (832) 736-7761 or visit their website.