A 69-year-old thrift shop on Commodore Plaza in Coconut Grove keeps selling $3 shirts while luxury condos and 50% rent hikes push longtime neighbors out.

Church-Owned Store Gives Back $290,000

This 'N That, an outreach program of Plymouth Congregational Church, distributed $290,000 to local charities in 2025 and expects to reach $300,000 in 2026, employee Paula Yermoli told Coconut Grove Spotlight. The shop has operated from a 1,500-square-foot building on Commodore Plaza since 1957, when the Women's Fellowship of South Grove's Plymouth Congregational Church founded it.

Owning the Building Is the Key to Survival

The secret to its survival is simple: the church owns the building. The mortgage was paid off in 1977. A photograph of the women who celebrated by burning it still hangs inside the store. The property is also exempt from property taxes.

Nearby Businesses Feel the Squeeze

That ownership shields This 'N That from the commercial rent pressures reshaping the Grove. Lokal, a 15-year Commodore Plaza restaurant, closed June 28 after a 50% rent increase. The Last Carrot shut down Feb. 7 after 50 years, displaced by Ziggurat, a luxury condo development with units priced up to $8 million. Miami New Times reported both closures.

Luxury Condos Reshape a Nearby Corridor

Along Southwest 27th Avenue, luxury projects are adding hundreds of new residences. The Lincoln's one-bedroom condos start at about $1.5 million. Four Seasons Private Residences units begin near $6 million.

"They wouldn't be able to be here if they didn't own it," Yermoli said.

Proceeds Support Local Charity Partners

Yermoli, who has worked at the shop for six years, said proceeds go to partners including the Agape Women's Center, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Miami Rescue Mission. Unsold merchandise is donated to Miami Rescue Mission.

Pants sell for $6 to $8. Shirts go for $3 to $8. An outdoor rack offers donated clothing at 75% off those prices.

Younger Shoppers Drive a Post-Pandemic Boom

Hallie Yanno, a volunteer for 25 years and a Plymouth Congregational member since the late 1970s, said younger shoppers have helped fuel a post-pandemic boom. Grove school students stop by after class to browse new arrivals. University of Miami students come looking for books.

The shop is open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., at 3155 Commodore Plaza. The church holds a donation collection for the store on the third Sunday of every month.

Upcoming Community Events

Plymouth Congregational Church's next donation collection for This 'N That falls on the third Sunday of September.