Business

Thompsontown welcomes new coffee shop

THOMPSONTOWN -- What once seemed like a pipe dream for Ben and Mary Sieber has turned into a coffee culmination.

The Juniata County couple recently opened Stan's Coffee Co., located at 624 W. Main St., Thompsontown. Their grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 31.

"We had this idea five years ago when we were both 21," said Mary, who grew up in nearby Oakland Mills. "There's a bank, corner store, pizza place and a law office here, but there's not currently a coffee shop in Thompsontown or within a five-mile radius.

"When we're outside, we saw a lot of people walking around and they'd stop by to talk," she added. "But there's not really anywhere to sit and talk in a public place, unless you go to a restaurant to do that."

Which is why Stan's opened.

"Hopefully Thompsontown will benefit from this," Mary said. "People will have a little bright spot, not just for coffee."

People have been coming to their location for years, especially when it was a sewing machine repair shop owned by Stan Sieber, Ben's grandfather. Stan ran the shop out of the sunroom in the house for more than 50 years. He and wife, Ruth, also lived there.

Stan and Ruth were known for their hospitality, generosity and genuine concern for others.

"If the walls of this house could talk, the stories of these two it could tell," Mary joked. "And that is what we want. A place that honors their legacy of kindness and care for others, and a place where stores are shared and genuine connections with others are made."

While the repair shop has been closed for decades, its legacy remains.

Ben and Mary are now the fourth generation to own it. "The blue house on the corner is still known around here as Stan and Ruth's house," Mary said of the location. "Their door was always open."

When Ben and Mary bought the house and moved into it, they originally wanted to open a quick-stop business in the sunroom, as Stan had done.

Once they renovated the downstairs, they realized they wanted to expand the coffee shop to take up the entire lower level. They remodeled the upstairs into an apartment, where they currently live.

Ben, a Thompsontown native and self-employed carpenter, did much of the construction work. They restored much of the original house including the log walls in the living room, which is now used as an entrance, lounge of sorts and ordering and pickup counter.

"We had an idea of what we wanted it to look like, but we kept uncovering things," Mary said of renovating the house into a coffee shop. "Originally, it was just going to be in the sunroom, but now it's the whole downstairs. It turned out better this way. We've tried to preserve the house by keeping the original charm of it."

The living room has a seating area with tables and chairs as well as sofas, while the sunroom offers visitors window seating. "The sunroom is basically single seating," Mary said. "People can come and work on their laptops."

There are also open spaces for casual conversation.

"We wanted people to be able to have conversations without being crowded," Mary noted. "A lot of things just sort of fell into place."

Ben's Mom, Sandy, who is a bit of a history buff, discovered the house was used as a post office at one point.

"The house has a lot of history and has a lot of Sieber history," Mary said.

Mary will manage the shop, along with a small staff. Previously, she helped Ben with his carpentry business. She also worked as a floating teller for Pennian Bank.

She's excited about their new business venture.

"When I want to get to know someone, I ask them about their three simple joys," Mary explained. "People usually say religion, family and friends. But I want to hear the simple mundane things."

"One of mine is having coffee in the morning with my husband," she added. "We sat out in the sunroom and talked just like Ruth would sit out and watch the little town go by."

There was a need for a coffee shop, but the Siebers also had a desire to open the business. "We enjoy the conversations we've had with friends over coffee," Mary said. "Even today we put coffee on after dinner for dessert. It doesn't matter what time it is."

It's that laid back atmosphere of having a cup of coffee that Mary hopes to further cultivate at the coffee shop.

The shop will serve Cedar Shed Coffee Roasters, which are made locally in East Salem. They will also offer a special Stan's House Blend, made by Cedar Shed, and specialty drinks including non-coffee latte, chai latte and loose-leaf tea.

Stan's Coffee Co. will also sell baked goods, such as donuts and pastries, made by Zimmerman's Farm Market in Thompsontown.

Hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call (223) 268-0402, or you can find them on Facebook.

For more information, visit www.restaurantji.com/pa/thompsontown/stans-coffee-company-/