TEXARKANA, Ark. -- Michael Perry is in the process of opening Alley Cats Coffee Shop may be Michael Perry's brainchild, but it's very much a community effort.
With various input and labor from the community, Perry soon will offer what he said is a unique experience for coffee lovers in downtown Texarkana. He hopes to set the example for hard work and diligence can do for success.
Perry's first business venture involved opening a "raggedy" lemonade stand as a young child, one year serving the ice cold beverage in glasses he had to clean between uses.
"That was the most money I ever made selling lemonade," he said.
He was selling atmosphere even then, commencing a long string of a variety of odd and end jobs, from framing to selling cars before he ended up serving at Verona's, where he still works when he isn't found putting in a little blood, sweat, and tears at the coffee shop.
After having what Perry described as an "awesome cup of coffee" one year, he knew then that was the way to his autonomy, being his own boss.
"It was just bold," he said, referring to the life-changing cup.
Not believing in very traditional things and wanting to pave his own path, Perry said a coffee shop is the perfect place to make him happy, where he can be surrounded by other quirky people in the community.
Perry's hard work doesn't end with the coffee shop and serving at Verona's. He and wife Summer recently remodeled their 1940s-era home.
He is a jack of all trades and likes to have his hand in a little bit of everything.
"That's probably another thing that contributed to the coffee shop," he said. "I've spent years and years doing lots of hard jobs."
Perry was on a framing crew at the age of 13, getting paid under the table with cash.
"I was also a logger, worked as a residential tree worker, plumbing, remodeling, and dabbled in a ton of backbreaking stuff. If you do that to the age of 13 all the way up, essentially you're getting beat up and realize I don't want to spend the rest of my life doing stuff like this."
Perry's partner Paul West is a paint contractor who's overseeing cabinetry at Alley Cats.
"It's a little bit of everybody. It's not me, me, me," Perry said. "I'm creating a space that is for me that provides me stability and happiness, but it is a place for the community, so they should have somewhat of a say. I tried to ask as many people."
Almost everything that Perry has done has been with the input from a collective of people in the community.
"I'm very indecisive. You don't ever want to shop with me," he said laughing.
In addition to help from West, Perry also brought in artist Jenny Stephens, signage by Check Mark Designs off broad, and Michael Stewart for custom audio.
"It's a lot of help from a lot of people."
The outcome is a sleek yet quirky place.
"I'm a lot of fun, and I just want this place to be a lot of fun for the community."
(Alley Cats Coffee Shop is at 305 E. Front St., the former Flying Crow. Opening has yet to be determined.)