Debbie Grogan had a keen eye when she first came to the Lower East Side. It all began as she stared out the window at 88 Orchard (former Merchant of the Month) with a cup of coffee and saw a vacant space across the street. “I kept looking at the space thinking I’ve got to have a store there,” Debbie said. And thus, Eggplant was born.

At the age of 18, Debbie channeled her inner entrepreneur, opened a fabric shop and has been in the retail business ever since. Though some might call it a natural progression, Debbie says she opened Eggplant because she felt the space needed love.

If you think you know what you’ll find at Eggplant, you’re probably wrong, and actually that’s why she picked the name so that customers would have no preconceived notions. Like the name, Eggplant is purple but that is where the similarities end as the space is quite playful.

The premise is that everything is made by hand and embodies Debbie’s life motto of simplicity. At Eggplant you’ll be sure to find something to awaken your senses at reasonable prices ranging from $20 - $125. There are Danish hand dipped Rockport candles (which are smoke-free, non-drip, and odorless), scented bubble baths, bath salts, soaps, shower gels and fragrances (in sage, lilac, lemon, rose, geranium, lavender, citrus, and jasmine), personal journals, stationery, hand-made cards, glass blown pens and vases, chocolates, lollipops, and hand woven throws.

For those looking for zesty blends of high quality tea, Eggplant has 24 assortments to choose from which include green tea flavored with cherries and rose, herb and fruit tea, and favored black tea with tangerine. Not sure which of these blends would please your palette? Visit Debbie at Eggplant on May 22nd for her tea tasting from 3 – 5 PM.

Do you have a party, anniversary, or congratulatory event coming up and you don’t know what to buy? Eggplant offers specialized and traditional tea, coffee, bath, and candy baskets.