New coffee house opens in Clark County

A group of business owners is hoping they can fill what they see as a gap in the region’s coffee business.

Scout’s Cafe, a new coffee shop that opened in a formerly vacant building at 1399 Moorefield Road, will offer residents in the Northridge neighborhood a new option for lattes and fresh baked cinnamon rolls. The coffee shop was crowded one afternoon last week as the owners celebrated their first week in business.

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There are several locally owned coffee shops in Springfield but there seemed to be a gap in the Northridge area, said Tracy Lewis, one of the business’ five owners. So far the business has seen better-than expected results.

“It’s a small community in Springfield we felt would enjoy a nice coffee house,” Lewis said of the Northridge neighborhood. “We’ve felt the love from the community. They’ve really supported us in our first week.”

Michael Blair, Ricky Lewis, and Sarah and Tony Bullwinkle are the other owners. The five have been friends for years, Blair said, and have been discussing starting their own business for about three years.

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“We realized it could be a possibility so we started piling up resources and everything fell into place,” Blair said.

Along with lattes, mochas and smoothies, the coffee shop also features fresh-baked pastries like cinnamon rolls, which sold out by 8:30 a.m. last Friday. The business is open seven days a week, with a staff of about 12, Tracy Lewis said.

Brenna Myers, a local artist, decorated the coffee shop’s interior with original artwork that includes downtown Springfield in the background. The owners wanted to create a place where area residents could relax for a few hours or have a quiet place to get some work done, Tracy Lewis said.

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“We tried to make it an environment that’s inviting to everybody,” she said.

The group is using social media and word of mouth to make area residents know there’s a new option in the neighborhood, Blair said. While there are other coffee shops like Un Mundo Cafe, Winan’s Chocolates and Coffees, Coffee Expressions and others in town, Blair said he thinks there’s enough demand everyone can be successful.

“You really have to view your competition as allies,” Blair said. “It’s making the market stronger.”


If you go:

Where: Scout’s Cafe

Address: 1399 Moorefield Road, Springfield

Phone: 937-505-0660

On the web: www.facebook.com/pg/scoutscafe/about/?ref=page_internal

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