Vivid Minds Cafe is a public coffee shop by day with special “magic mushroom” experiences for adults 21-plus after hours
Vivid Minds Cafe owner Jeff Parton stands outside the cafe he owns with his wife Manon Parton in Denver on March 10, 2026. The coffee shop and cafe also has a licensed psychedelic healing center on the lower level.
Vivid Minds Cafe owner Manon Parton makes a drink for a customer at the cafe she owns with her husband Jeff Parton in Denver on March 10, 2026. Customer Allison Gregurich gets a lid for her drink at Vivid Minds Cafe in Denver on March 10, 2026. The building, at 1545 S. Broadway, is painted bright blue and adorned with puffy white clouds. Around the entryway, images of pink and yellow mushrooms welcome visitors and give passersby a clue as to what happens inside after hours.and experience them legally. Earlier this month, the business hosted its first psychedelic session during which guests consumed a small dose of “magic mushrooms” and participated in a yoga class and sound bath. Soon, it will roll out more experiential group classes that can be elevated with a microdose.While most healing centers offer guided trips with large, multi-gram doses, Vivid Minds seeks to meet consumers at a more approachable entry point for both mushrooms and price, co-owners Manon and Jeff Parton said. Their goal is to educate psychedelic-curious folks about “magic mushrooms,” no appointment necessary. “We set it up as a whole community center for psilocybin and wellness in general,” Jeff Parton said. “If you wanted to go talk to somebody about psychedelics, or if you have a problem or question, you can walk into our coffee shop right this second.” The Cosmic Coconut Cloud smoothies features almond milk, banana, avocado, coconut cream, vanilla collagen and blue spirulina. During the day, Vivid Minds is open to the general public. Baristas serve hot and cold espresso drinks, as well as smoothies and beverages featuring functional, nonpsychedelic varieties of mushrooms like lion’s mane and cordyceps. Yoga is a mainstay on the events calendar, and Vivid Minds also hosts educational events about microdosing, a monthly clothing swap, live DJs, crafting parties and the occasional drag show. All ages are welcome to these events during normal business hours. Microdosing sessions, such as yoga or art therapy, typically happen outside of normal business hours on the lower level of the cafe. Individuals can register for a group class of up to eight people or bring enough people for their own group class. Registration prices include psilocybin mushrooms, which are served in capsules and tea or on their own.in Colorado and across the country. Users say taking small doses of psilocybin or LSD does everything from bolster productivity and creativity to ease symptoms of anxiety and insomnia — all without the hallucinogenic effects characteristic of a full-blown trip. . Classes, like art therapy, that run three hours and include 12 milligrams of psilocybin cost $300. By contrast, individual “macro” dose trips can last six to eight hours and usually include intense hallucinations. These experiences often cost several thousand dollars to cover the expense of a trained facilitator, who supervises and guides clients the whole time they are under the influence. “I don’t look at any of the other healing centers as competition,” Jeff said. “Our biggest competition is educating the consumer.” Though Vivid Minds’ model is unique, guests still need to undergo a medical screening and intake session with a facilitator prior to taking part in a microdosing session. For those looking for a deeper experience, Vivid Minds also plans to offer private macrodose journeys for $2,800. Though the Partons expected to roll out psilocybin-assisted activities when Vivid Minds first opened last August, it took longer than expected to get a license from the City of Denver because of zoning issues that needed to be addressed, Jeff said. The unexpected delays ended up being a silver lining and enabled the cafe to build a community organically. The Cosmic Coconut Cloud smoothie has also earned a reputation on social media for its scroll-stopping blue color. Vivid Minds Cafe owners Manon and Jeff Parton pose for a photo in the psychedelic healing center room in the basement of their cafe in Denver on March 10, 2026. “When I designed the whole concept of having the healing center with a coffee shop, I always thought the coffee shop would be 10% to15% of the overall business, 20% tops,” Jeff said. “Now it’s become the only thing that separates us from the other .” Being open to the general public allows guests to get a feel for the space and for staff to build a rapport, said Manon, who is currently pursuing her facilitator license. “What people really like is when they come into our journey rooms, they can see they will have liberty to move around, to express themselves, that it’s private,” she said.. State licensing fees range $6,000 annually for a micro-healing center, where psilocybin typically makes up a small portion of the business, to $8,000 for a standard healing center that specializes in psychedelic-assisted therapy. Additionally, owners, facilitators, and natural medicine handlers all need to be licensed by the state and those licenses must be renewed every year.For example, Denver charges “non-clinical” healing centers — meaning those that do not have medical professionals working there — $100 per year for a city license, plus a one-time $100 application fee. And like marijuana, healing centers are subject to a federal tax code that prohibits them from deducting operating expenses from taxable income because they deal in a scheduled substance, which drives up costs.Gambling and sports betting: Are we calling a public health risk ‘entertainment’? For Manon and Jeff, opening the healing center aspect of Vivid Minds is realizing the full potential of their dream. “We wanted the cafe to be popular so that we could build the community of the wellness center within it — make it where people can do a journey and also get smoothie afterward and be able to come back without having to do a journey,” Manon said. Vivid Minds Cafe is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. For more information about the coffee shop, visitKeeler: Nathan MacKinnon just called out Jared Bednar, Avs coaches. With Dallas next, will Bednar listen?Hacked crosswalks in Denver claim 'Trump murders children' U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette walloped by democratic socialist at county assembly. Does this spell trouble for incumbents?Asking Eric: Mother refuses to accept the facts of cancer diagnosisKeeler: Broncos trade for Jaylen Waddle just made AFC's best team even better
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