Jackie Starr, co-owner of the new coffee shop Stagecoach Coffee Co. in Marshall, faced the same problem so many Americans did during the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, she lost her job.
For Starr however, she took the opportunity to do something she always wanted to, open a coffee shop with one of her closest friends, showing that women can, and often do, overcome adversity.
“Jackie called me up and told me she wanted to open a coffee shop, and I knew about this building being open, and it seemed like a perfect fit,” said co-owner Sherry Jones.
Now Starr and Jones are the proud owners of Stagecoach Coffee Co. in Marshall, which opened its doors officially just last month. The new coffee shop is located in the old Dinner Belle building, located at 409 E. Grand Avenue.
“We are just so excited to be part of this community,” Starr said.
Opening a new business during this year had the two women facing a number of unusual changes, including new safety precautions to protect against the spread of the virus.
However, even with all of these obstacles to overcome Starr said that the women have seen a successful start to their new business, including an extremely busy first two weeks.
“It was definitely scary,” Starr said. “But we are so grateful for all of the support we have received.”
The new shop has a drive-thru window, which Starr says makes the location stand out locally.
The shop also has locally sourced coffee from Mt. Pleasant, and offers Lotus energy drinks, which are plant based, along with a full menu for breakfast and lunch.
Starr said that Jones is in charge of the food menu, while she is in charge of the coffee, which makes them a great team.
Jones organized a full menu with both vegan and keto options, with all homemade food for the community to try.
She said that the location is also working on expanding into more baked goods, including a variety of cookies and homemade pies. Jones said that her focus right now is a number of different cookie recipes, including a jalapeno cookie and a chocolate bacon cookie, which are community favorites.
“What I really wanted to do was focus on homemade foods in the old fashioned way,” Jones said.
The two revamped the inside of the old building themselves, adding unique seating options, new decorations and even a book shelf to give the place a comfortable ambiance.
Jones said that the women also added an outdoor seating area where community members can relax and enjoy their time with a children’s play area.
“We want to have a place where everyone is comfortable, where all of the college kids can come and hang out,” Jones said. “With all of this isolation going on it is weird, what its doing to people is so sad. What we have here is a place where people can gather and feel comfortable, and still be safe.”
Jones still works full time on top of working at the coffee shop, while Starr handles the day to day activities.
Both women stated that they feel grateful for the support the community has given them, and they are focused on giving back by sponsoring a number of other local female business owners, including hosting a paint class in the coffee shop and a book signing event.
“As two women who own a business we are really interested in supporting other women, especially other business owners,” Starr said.
For more information on the new coffee shop or to check out their menu go to www.facebook.com/stagecoachcoffeeco/.