PEORIA (25News Now) – The small, Central Illinois Village of Hanna City has become a coffee hub, collaborating with other local businesses and invigorating the outlying economy.
Black Sheep Coffee recently expanded its business into a brick-and-mortar store inside Sister Beez Candles on Main Street. The shop first opened as a mobile coffee van in 2022.
Owner Victoria Larson said the business has grown rapidly since then, now serving up to 200 people per day on weekends.
“We were nervous that we weren’t going to have as many customers and people would be a little bit concerned since there are other small businesses in the area, but everybody has been super welcoming,” she said.
Larson said they are working on opening a drive-through and hopes to start holding community events at the shop. She said she believes it is important in a smaller, outlying area like Hanna City to bring people together.
“You want the support of the local community, and you want people to meet new people in the area,” Larson said. “It’s a small town, but not everyone knows everybody.”
Closed since April, the Coffee Can is expecting a revival thanks to new owners. Raised in Chillicothe and experienced in the restaurant industry endeavors, Co-Owner Jeff Admire said he hopes to turn the unique, shipping container building into a memorable gathering place.
“It’s an iconic place,” Admire said. “Anywhere you go, when you talk about a coffee shop in Hanna City, everyone I’ve spoken to from many towns over says, ‘Oh, is that the one with the shipping containers?’” he said.
Admire said they are teaming up with Intuition Coffee in Peoria to source their product. He believes that with the COVID-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror, success at the new Coffee Can will be easier to come by.
“You’ve got a lot of people that are working from home, and now you’re seeing more return to office mandates,” Admire said. “The traffic here, when we talk about this roadway, it really is a pathway for a lot of communities.”
Similar to Larson’s mindset, Admire also said small businesses in rural areas have the underestimated power of rallying support.
“Communities rally around businesses; they become an integral part, and you miss that from larger cities,“ he said. ”There’s an aspect of doing business in rural communities that is really fulfilling, because it’s more than just a transaction. It ends up being, again, a gathering place, and you kind of get knitted into that.”
The Coffee Can is expected to be open in December, although Admire said a firm date is yet to be announced.
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