Brewin’ love in every cup: Avenue Coffee celebrates 13 years
By Christopher Miller
This Valentine’s Day will mark 13 years that an area business has been, well, in business!
There’s a whole lot of love when it comes to your morning cup of coffee. This time of year, it is praised for warming your hands as well as your innards. For some it’s the neurological effects that caffeine takes on the brain. One thing is certain – it is a billion dollar worldwide industry that isn’t going away any time soon.
“I’d say the secret to our success has got to be the customers, especially over the last few years when there seems to have been an upswing for a more local movement,” said Jared Conti, Manager of Avenue Coffee on Bellefonte Avenue in Lock Haven. “It’s always been something a little more out-of-the-way and “off the beaten path” that is more of a destination in addition to a great cup of coffee and other drinks we serve.”
Indeed it is true what Jared says – it is much more than that morning cup of chemical encouragement that keeps people coming back these past 13 years.
“It’s the atmosphere, customer service, local art and poetry events that sets us apart from the day-to-day drive-thru drudgery,” Jared said, smiling.
Even though Avenue Coffee has been in business for more than a dozen years, the idea was brewing for at least the last 15.
“I’d come home from a good writing stint in Pittsburgh and was looking for a church to attend…turned out an old friend’s husband was teaching in a small residential neighborhood,” Jared explained. “Things were struggling, a lot of old and new views that weren’t jiving.” “Josh (the pastor and Avenue brainchild) got this nifty idea to do church in a coffee shop.”
As Jared explained it, Avenue is a “third place.” “It’s not your home or work, but a place you can relax in, away from it all – there were lots of planning sessions with church members, a coffee shop boot camp, and all sorts of ideas of what would and would not work in a place such as Lock Haven and some of those things are still around today.”
When asked if Jared thought Avenue Coffee would make it to 13 years, he was very delighted to remember the past.
“There are some days running to Weis, or even just looking out the front door at the line down the street at the drive-thru or traffic snarls on Bellefonte Avenue, but I realize that super-fast “convenience” isn’t us. While we have our cadre of to-go customers each and every day, we’re a place where you can come to sit down and relax. Have that meeting, fill out the crossword, or just have a conversation. I wouldn’t change it for anything,” Jared said.
The future of Avenue Coffee looks bright and encouraging, especially with the addition of the coffee roaster in the back room.
“I’ll tell you, we’re really hitting it out of the ballpark with our coffee roasted in-house,” Jared explained. “We roast once a week or so and the kids do a bang-up job putting out a product that you can’t help but feel proud about and talk about. I know at the beginning of the pandemic, friends from Pittsburgh and Philly and Jersey were calling to send out beans almost every week, but we’d like to see more of that soon. We supply beans to a few local businesses, and a restaurant that has our cold brew on tap and uses us in their mixed drinks.”
Since COVID had put a halt to live music events at Avenue Coffee there is a gleam of light at the end of the tunnel. “We’re starting music up here again in April, with Pocket Vinyl, a one-man piano band and on-stage artist. They’re one of our favoritest groups, and a real crowd pleaser. March brings us Let Her Voice Be Heard is an event run by The Hope Center at LHU. Barring Covid, this is got to be their fifth year. We’ll be starting music again semi-regularly.”
As for specials for the combined Valentine’s Day holiday and 13th anniversary, Avenue Coffee is partnering with local business A Little Bird and other local establishments for a “Galentine’s Day” raffle: a chance to win lots of fun prizes just for stopping in and shopping at Avenue Coffee and other participating businesses.
As well, a special 13% off drinks this coming Friday, Saturday, and Monday and a “chocolate covered strawberry drink that is both good in a latte or hot chocolate,” said Jared.
Avenue Coffee
209 Bellefonte Avenue
Lock Haven
570-748-6738
Monday – Friday
7am to 7pm
Saturday 8am to 7pm
Closed Sunday
