Essentially, the new Berry Bean Coffee Shop in St. Joseph is the ignition point for an American dream start up company. That's the way a couple of brothers from Harbor Country see it. There's a pretty good chance the rest of the neighborhood will see it as a dream come true now that they have their drive-up coffee cabin back in service.
Scott & Shawn Ravenscroft, who were originally from the Elkhart, Indiana area, but now call Harbor Country home, have acquired the former Bear Claw Coffee site at 2108 So. Cleveland Avenue in St. Joseph and converted it into the first ever Berry Bean Coffee Shop. Shawn calls it the first ever, because he is hopeful it will be the pilot flight for Berry Bean and the first of several.
Scott Ravenscroft is the financier behind the project, and he too is hopeful that their launch will be the beginning of something really good. The tiny little log-cabin-styled building with the green awning rooftop is strategically located on the heavily traveled Cleveland Avenue corridor to allow many people to stop for coffee, Danish, smoothies and more on their way to work without the hassle of having to get out of the car and head into a coffee shop elsewhere in the market.
Berry Bean Coffee quietly opened yesterday morning after hanging out the "Now Open" banner, and they will be open Monday through Friday from 6am until 6pm and on Saturdays from 8am until 4pm, and closed on Sundays. A cheerful young lady named Amy is Berry Bean's first barista hire, and is skilled at the job of creating espressos, frappes, lattes, chai drinks, smoothies, and medium and dark roast coffee options.
Shawn is the General Manager at Berry Bean inasmuch as Scott has a full-time role as the General Manager of Buffalo Wild Wings a couple of blocks away in the Southtown neighborhood of St. Joseph. They have joined the Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce and are working with staff there to arrange for a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration around the first of October.
In addition to a broad array of drinks, the crew at Berry Bean has a limited menu of fresh baked pastries like Danish and a specialty hot ham & cheese bagel sandwich using an asiago cheese bagel.
Shawn tells me that their base comes from organic locally roasted espresso beans infused with "floral, woody overtones like a fine cognac." Additionally, the menu includes medium and dark roast coffees, chilled creamy frappes, both hot & frozen chai lattes, both fun and protein-based smoothies so whether you're simply looking for fun or headed to your next workout and want a smoothie on the way, you're covered.
Since opening early Tuesday, the tiny shop has managed to draw the attention of people who had been watching the site as they were prepping to open over the last couple of weeks, and they've garnered good reviews from early adopters, many of whom have already become repeat customers in just the first two days of business.
Shawn's favorite offering is a "signature peanut butter frappe." He says all of their smoothies are made with organic fruits and a base of organic coconut milk. He offered me a sample of a Salted Caramel Frappe, and it was outstanding. You can select from multiple smoothie offerings or you can "create your own" by combining the ingredients you'd like. He says there are lots of healthy options and boasts that 90-percent of the store ingredients are organic.
Both men agree it has been an exciting time getting things up and running with lots of positive feedback and they hope this is, as planned, the beginning of the great American dream for Berry Bean Coffee. The cardboard coffee cup sleeve also acts as an incentive to return, as they mark off your purchases and offer "Your 8th coffee…on the house."
Police, fire and other first responders have a lifetime discount offer of 15-percent off of any purchase made, and Whirlpool employees are also offered 15-percent off for the month of October when they show their corporate badge at the drive-up window. You can reach Berry Bean Coffee via email at BerryBeanCoffee@gmail.com and you can follow their progress on Facebook as well.
Congratulations to Scott & Shawn Ravenscroft, Amy and the gang at Berry Bean Coffee…new to St. Joe, across from Martin's Super Market just off of Cleveland and Hilltop.
Shawn (left) and Scott (right) Ravenscroft at Berry Bean Coffee of St. Joseph
