By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News
For Tammy Sherman, community is everything.
In 2006, Sherman took a vacant storefront on Price Main Street and transformed it into The Coffee Shop, which has become a community staple over the past 20 years. The venture began when Sherman recognized a need in the community for coffee.
“I had a dress shop across the street, a tuxedo shop, and there was a little coffee shop here that had shut down, and it seemed like people were really interested in having a coffee shop here. So we ended up trying it, it worked, and 20 years later, here we are.”
For the customers of The Coffee Shop, it’s more than just a store; it’s a vibrant community where they gather to study, relax, and even celebrate. This includes birthday parties and Christmas gift exchanges in the space.
“It’s our home. It is the place to be. Not just for me and my friends, a lot of people love just to meet here,” expressed Sherman. “We have a back room that is really nice for studying and for meetings, and a lot of people will interview for jobs back there.”
Beyond just the local impact, The Coffee Shop has attracted a global audience of tourists passing through town to try the store’s latest creations. “I think my biggest regret is that I didn’t do a map or something and have it marked, because over 20 years, I’ve met people from all over the world. I’m fascinated that people just find Price Main Street from Italy, France, Israel or Germany. I mean, all over the world, not just interstate but internationally, it’s crazy.”
When walking into the Coffee Shop, customers are greeted by the strong smell of coffee, a lively group of customers chatting it up around the store and a friendly face at the counter. All of this serves to curate the welcoming environment Sherman strives for.
“I’m grateful that people keep coming back. I’ve watched throughout the years; they have babies, and it’s just always good to see them,” said Sherman. “It’s a happy place. Not all businesses are happy places, but this should be a happy place. We try to provide that. I’m not saying we’re perfect; we all have our bad days, but we do try to make it welcoming and comfortable.”
Throughout her 20 years in business, Sherman has seen big-box coffee stores come and go. Despite the added competition, she has remained committed to preserving the shop’s community-oriented business approach. “I told my girls from the beginning when the first big box store came, we’re just gonna keep doing what we do, and hopefully people recognize that we’re not gonna change who we are. We’re just gonna keep going and see what happens, and that the one thing that hasn’t changed is a very supportive community.”
She continued,” Around 2011, when one of the big ones came, a lady walked in here on that day, and she said,’ You know what, I don’t even drink coffee, but I just felt I needed to be in here to support you today.” Like I said, our community is amazing, and Price Main Street and the other businesses down here, you know, we’re just a little family.”
A unique aspect of the shop that carries this customer-first approach is the willingness to offer a large selection of flavors – including seasonal favorites – on demand throughout the year. “For the most part, you always have your typical caramel and vanilla, but we offer every flavor you can imagine. We’re not just seasonal. If you wanted a pumpkin latte right now, we could make you a pumpkin latte. And I do have some customers who don’t just like pumpkin in the fall.
Sherman added,” We always just keep those flavors available, because we do have locals that enjoy certain flavors. If they’d like pumpkin today, I could give them pumpkin today. We have some bizarre flavors that I never thought I’d see, like lavender, which is so popular, and I just don’t understand it, but people love it.”
When asked what advice she would give to herself 20 years ago before beginning the venture, Sherman replied,” If you are going to invest in this, you really have to be committed to being there. And so I would tell Tammy to make sure you’re ready to be there, which I was for a very long time and still am trying. I have a lot of help now, and throughout the years I’ve had a lot of girls come and go, but you have to be here.”
Reflecting on the journey as a whole, Sherman again emphasized her love for the community: “My favorite part of all of this is the people that I have met and are just like family to me. That’s been my favorite part. As I said earlier, I would never have met this many people or these people without it being here. Even after I am gone from the coffee shop or whatever happens, those people will always be a part of my life, and I will be in touch with them.”
“It’s just been a blessing to have all those people in my life.”