The Burrow on a Mission

Shannon Brady and Dana Foht are co-founders, operators, and owners of The Burrow, a vision they brought to life together. With Shannon’s 10-plus years of knowledge in the service industry as a barista and bartender and Dana’s degree in marine science and experience working at the Naples Botanical Garden, they are two halves of a whole that make The Burrow the kindred space it is. Brady relates, “Being from New York and moving to Florida, as a lot of transplants can agree with, you develop this connection that was missing.” The Burrow encompasses this connection with Florida’s nature, biodiversity, and people by drawing them all together. 

With only three bartenders on Grand Opening Night, there was a line out the door. “It turned into a concert with around 150 people,” said Brady. Now, The Burrow is set to close its doors on May 1st, but the lifelong mission is not over. 

Located in the heart of Naples, The Burrow is a hidden oasis providing guests with scenic views to sip, shop, and listen to groovy tunes whilst relaxing in the picturesque garden. With a sustainable bar, vintage shop, night markets, and more, The Burrow is the ideal venue to plan a night of festivities for the entire family. Inside, it is just as enchanting, like sitting in a living room with your closest friends. Foht says the atmosphere is “relaxed but refined; a nice space to welcome the environmental mission.” 

Brady and Foht recognized the need for advocacy and support from small businesses in sustainability, environmentalism, and connection. Every piece of The Burrow embraces these values and welcomes visitors to join them on their undertaking. From their sustainably sourced beverages, secondhand clothing items available for purchase, and space for environmental conversations while gathering, The Burrow represents a community so desperately needing to be heard. Foht believes there’s not enough money in environmental projects and the support from a for-profit business can lead others to join them. Individuals, as well as businesses, can make an impact by choosing where to contribute their money. Foht says, “You should, as a business, be setting the standard. It’s tough to go organic and sustainable as a small, family-owned business, but you vote with your dollar. It’s a lifelong mission of the company when it shows profitability, to donate 100 percent of profits to The Florida Wildlife Corridor.” 

Compromising nearly 18 million acres of adjoining wilderness, The Florida Wildlife Corridor is critical to the survival of Florida’s endangered plants and species. The corridor and the creatures that call it home have a symbiotic relationship, with the continuous course of land shaping a haven for the plethora of wildlife across its lifespan and the flora and fauna being essential to the wellbeing of Florida’s ecosystem. The statewide project’s goal is to protect the lands as one cohesive whole, creating a migratory route for animals like black bears and the Florida panther. Foht explains, “The panthers especially need the corridor to be connected because they roam so much. They’ll always stay endangered and potentially go extinct if we do not connect the corridor.” There is a battle over the unprotected lands of the corridor with whether manmade developments should be constructed. Foht remarks, “We want to steer development away from areas that are biodiverse, crucial connection points and need more funding on practical solutions like underpasses. The Path of The Panther would explain my entire motivation and the company’s motivation.” The Burrow plans on showcasing the documentary in the garden in partnership with Naples Cinematheque at the end of April.

According to the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, protecting the corridor benefits all local creatures, including human beings. Supporting large sectors of Florida’s economy, including ranching and fishing, the corridor is responsible for safeguarding much of Florida’s drinking water. “A healthy corridor will mean a healthy waterway. The water quality of The Gulf of Mexico, algae blooms, and red tide are directly connected to discharges from Lake Okeechobee… If you care about anything, you care about the corridor,” said Foht. 

Brady continues, “It [the corridor] is important to promote because people don’t know about it, even the people who live here don’t know about it. It’s cool to see people’s minds grow and learn about it as we’re talking.” And that’s exactly what The Burrow does: bring guests together from all different backgrounds to expand their minds. Through their Night Markets, individual visionaries collaborate with everything from vintage clothes and jewelry, original art pieces, henna tattoos, and mobile IVs. Visitors can take home a genuine piece of Naples while supporting community creatives and entrepreneurs.

Brady and Foht fittingly named The Burrow after the half-moon shaped habitats created by tortoises. The gopher tortoise supports up to 360 species with their home and The Burrow aims to do the same by impacting and supporting the Naples community. But just as the tortoise moves from one home to another, The Burrow plans on uprooting their influence to fresh destinations. Brady exclaims, “Ideally, we’d have a bus with dinner booths and incorporate Jonesy Vintage. Dana would sell plants and pots. With mobilizing we’d have more to give.” Jonesy Vintage is Brady’s second-hand clothing brand, selling genuine quality pieces for an affordable price. It’s one of the many ways The Burrow practices sustainability and connection through style. In addition, Brady and Foht plan on opening an apparel line with organic t-shirts and merchandise derived from sustainable and thrifted materials. While having more resources to advertise the mission, The Burrow will collaborate with local organizations to join forces. Brady says, “It’s going to take the whole world to save the Everglades,” so the quest requires progression in new directions. 

The next two months at their current location, 1780 Commercial Drive, are jampacked with events. On March 9th, 2024, The Sunstate Blues is performing with Sweendog as the opener. Including Blades of Glory food truck selling culinary delights and Henna Magick offering henna tattoos. The blend of blues, folk, Americana and country by the talented musicians are sure to put on a show to remember. This may be the last chance to experience the ambiance of a concert in the charming garden, so put on your dancing shoes and show up to groove to some folky tunes. One dollar of each ticket will be donated to Friends of Fakahatchee; tickets are available online on humanitix.com and at the door. 

On March 8th and 10th, partnering with On a Roll Film Lab, The Burrow is hosting the “incredibly unique and one of a kind experience” of A.G. Norton’s Dad, Playboy and me comedy slideshow. With photography prints and vintage cameras available for purchase, this “intriguing and hilarious insight into the realm of Playboy” will provide “an evening of nostalgia and wild stories you’ll never forget.” Furthermore, in partnership with Naples Cinematheque, stay tuned for a few more movie screenings in the garden. You can keep up with the happenings of The Burrow on their Instagram: theburrowfl. 

“We’ve made so many great connections that we are so grateful to have collaborated with and we really hope that they find their own burrow,” said Brady. “The Mission isn’t dead, the Florida Wildlife Corridor and Path of the Panther still goes on. It’s not goodbye, it's see ya later, so stick around and stay tuned for the next chapter.”