MECHANICSBURG – The village is getting a fresh, new coffee shop this week.
On Nov. 8, Simple Coffee Co. opened its doors to the public, offering coffee, baked goods and more. Simple Coffee Co. is located on the corner of Main Street and Sandusky Street in downtown Mechanicsburg.
Justin and Anita Stoltzfus have been hard at work making the space, formerly known as Simple Comforts, their own. Anita has beautifully designed the space, with simple changes that help bring out the beauty of the building. From new seating options that the couple refurbished, small layout changes, and even a children’s table offering quiet games and activities for little ones, the Stoltzfuses have very thoughtfully designed the shop to make it an inviting and comfortable spot for people to spend their time.
Currently, Simple Coffee Co. will offer coffee drinks as well as a few other drinks, a variety of homemade baked goods, a breakfast wrap, and a lunch wrap. The shop will be using locally-roasted Hemisphere Coffee beans for their drinks. The shop offers WiFi for customers, ample seating, and goods for purchase that the couple makes such as candles, signs, and cards. Customers will be able to purchase Simple Coffee Co. gift cards before the holidays as well.
In September, Mervin and Tammy Miller, owners of Simple Comforts Coffee Shop, announced on their Facebook page that the shop would be closing in October.
In their published statement, the couple said that they felt “God calling us to the next phase of our lives.” The Millers recently opened “David’s Place” which is a resource center working with individuals struggling with addiction. Wanting to focus more on that, along with a desire to spend more time with their grandchildren and working more on improving the building that both David’s Place and the coffee shop are located in, the Millers felt it was time to move on from the coffee shop. In the statement they also named Justin and Anita Stoltzfus as the new owners.
According to Justin and Anita, God also played a role in their side of the story. The Stoltzfuses had worked with the Millers, selling items in the coffee shop that the couple makes, and they also frequented the shop. They had mentioned to the Millers that if a time came where they ever wanted to step away from the coffee industry, the couple would be interested in the space. Justin says “we had always planned to have a coffee shop at some point,” but assumed that would be 10-plus years down the road. The Stoltzfuses had recently decided they were not going to take on any new projects for a while, focusing on their merchandise with their small business “Simple Design Co.”
However, shortly after that decision, they got a text from the Millers asking if they were really interested in having a coffee shop. Justin recalls the text with a smile, saying “We have sort of a theory of life, that if the Lord opens doors, we just walk through them. And that’s kind of what happened.”
The Stoltzfuses have big plans for the coffee shop’s future. They talk of a larger menu, curbside pickup, and possibly even renting the space out after hours for events, among other ideas. For now, they want to focus on perfecting their current drink and food offerings, providing excellent customer service and getting to know the community.
