Giving Tree Wellness Center’s serene cafe offers a health-conscious menu and detox drinks year-round.
The venue opened in September 2017 at 311 Penn Ave., Scranton, in the heart of a block that underwent a revitalization over the last few years. Chef’s Table recently chatted with owner Amanda Gentile about the cafe menu that Giving Tree has to offer in addition to its wide-range of wellness services and classes.
Q: What is the history of Giving Tree?
A: Our mission is to engage, motivate and empower one another in order to create a healthy community in Northeast Pennsylvania. We do this by offering services which include float and massage therapies, reiki, mental health counseling, special workshops and events, a full cafe and a retail section stocked with local goods and unique items. When you walk into the Giving Tree, we want you to feel relaxed and grounded, and we always want you to leave feeling better than when you came in.
Q: What type of food do you serve?
A: We have a full cafe. Our menu includes coffee, tea, espresso drinks, detox drinks, smoothies, overnight oatmeal, chia bowls, bagels and bagel sandwiches, and baked goods. We most recently added wellness shots to our menu to help you fight off cold and flu season.
Q: What’s your specialty?
A: Our most popular menu items are the smoothie and acai bowls.
Q: How did your menu come to be?
A: Our menu continues to grow. When we first opened, our menu was limited to mostly coffee, teas and espresso drinks. Our menu has now grown to include all different items. Recently, we’ve been making a lot of Golden Milk, which is a detox drink made of almond milk, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, honey, ginger and cinnamon.
Q: What are your most popular dishes and drinks?
A: People love the Warrior Bowl, which is made with fresh strawberries, bananas, peanut butter, maple syrup, Greek yogurt and almond milk and topped with strawberries, granola, chia seeds and a scoop of peanut butter.
Q: What type of seating do you have?
A: We have two lounges with couches and tables and chairs. We also have a snack bar area in the front.
Q: What kinds of entertainment and specials do you offer?
A: Every month we partake in First Friday and feature a local artist and have live music. It’s always a fun night.
Q: Do you offer catering, event space, etc.?
A: We do not offering catering at this time, but we do have space available to rent for private events and gatherings.
Q: What other services do you offer?
A: We also offer special workshops occasionally, like community acupuncture. Inside the Giving Tree is TRYBE Boutique Fitness Studio, which offers group fitness, spin, small group and single personal training sessions, and nutritional counseling; RD Brow and Lash Bar, which provides eyelash, eyebrow and makeup appointments; and we have a licensed esthetician, Jill Kaminski, who offers services including laser hair removal, microneeding, chemical peels and bodycontouring.
Q: Where do you see the center headed in the future?
A: We are excited to continue growing and offering more services to the community.
Contact the writer: lrysz@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100, ext. 5228
The Giving Tree Wellness Center
Address: 311 Penn Ave., Scranton
Phone: 570-800-1963
Established: 2017
Owner: Amanda Gentile
Cuisine: Cafe
Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 a.m. to 8
p.m.; and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Online: Visit Giving Tree on Facebook and Instagram or thegivingtree wellnesscenter.com.
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- From top to bottom: Hot cocoa cupcakes, chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies are made in house as well as the protein balls
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- Wellness shots are also available at Giving Tree Wellness Center
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- Front row: Green Love Bagel Sandwich, Sunrise Bagel Sandwich, Golden Milk; back row: the Mantra Smoothie Bowl, The Warrior Smoothie Bowl and Skull Crusher at the Giving Tree Wellness Center
Laura Rysz is the features copy editor and calendar editor at The Times-Tribune and runs the Talk of the Times column, which focuses on local fundraisers and other events. She also writes Chef’s Table that profiles restaurants around the region. Additionally, Laura curates events online on AccessNEPA.com. Laura is involved in the special Mother’s Day edition and curates occasional features Marry Memories and Times Travelers. She is a graduate of Haddonfield Memorial High School, New Jersey, and earned an English professional writing degree with a minor in mass communications from King’s College, Wilkes-Barre. She also earned a certificate in Social Media Marketing from Rutgers Business School. Contact: lrysz@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5228.
