Owner Cheryl Greene opened her shop to be “a place for people to come,” and experience the tranquil pleasure that resides in a good cup o’ joe.
By Kayla Blanton
The Greene Beanery Coffee Roastery, a former bed and breakfast on State Route 41 in Peebles,is at a perfect distance from Highway 32 to serve long-distance travelers, and it nearly occupies the front yard of Peebles High School, convenient for students and teachers in need of a caffeine fix. The building’s covered front porch beckons rocking chair-sitting and coffee-sipping, and its blue tin roof practically disappears into the sky on a clear day.
“I always knew if I had a coffee shop, it had to be this house,” Cheryl says. In September of2014, the price was right, and Cheryl’s dream to own a coffee shop became reality. After purchasing the house, her family stayed at her side to help her finish what she started. “My three older sisters were right here with me,” she says, along with her husband, Matthew Greene. Together, they picked out paint colors and constructed coat racks and chalkboard signs out of reclaimed wood from the house. “[It was] all of our family giving each gift they had to bring to the table,” says Cheryl’s sister, Connie Greene.
During its first year open in February of 2015, the coffee shop became more than a business venture, it served a deeper purpose. “We had [our dad’s] 80th birthday here,” says another sister,Cindy Wilson. Their father died suddenly in July, and the sisters planted a tree in the shop’s yard in his memory.
The sisters hope others in Adams County use the roastery to also cultivate human connections. “I see her place becoming like the heartbeat of the community for gatherings, whether it’s one-on-one with a cup of coffee and quiet conversation, or a group of friends celebrating,” Connie says.“It’s going to continue to grow a stronger pulse over the years.”
Cheryl wants her shop to be “a place for people to come, people who are hurting. Adams County is a very low-income county, a lot of poverty,” she says. “People just need an outlet.” The shop has a box for people to submit their written prayer concerns. “That to me, is what I want to beabout: showing people love when they need it.”
As heart and soul of Cheryl’s business grows, she acknowledges the eventual need to expand her roasting beyond the usual five pounds of coffee per batch. “I would like to be able to roast 25pounds at a time,” she says. But for now, Cheryl says her regulars seem satisfied savoring the shop’s modest batches: “This way, it’s always fresh.”