“Weirdos welcome.”
The original motto of The Spot Coffee and Finery, a cozy café in Williamsburg Square that closed early this year, echoes why the shop’s owner, Jacob Pendley, decided that the space must survive the pandemic.
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Between March and May, The Spot lost most of its income during the stressful period of lockdown and restricted restaurant capacity.
Pendley decided his best option was to close the coffee shop and open its mobile counterpart, The Coffee Bus, which quickly attracted a loyal customer base at spots like Brescia University and Unifirst.
“It became hugely popular out of nowhere,” Pendley said.
By October, Pendley was doing more than alright. His former landlord reached out and asked if he’d consider returning to Williamsburg Square.
Initially, Pendley weighed whether he wanted to reopen the brick and mortar and accept the financial risks considering the ease and success of the Coffee Bus.
But the heartfelt messages from locals missing the artsy, alternative shop ultimately persuaded him to move forward with the reopening plan.
“I had enough money with the bus, but I felt that it was important to have a safe space,” Pendley said. “People feel comfortable here. It’s always positive vibes.”
So Pendley got to work — and set an official reopening date of Feb. 15.
The Spot will possess the same friendly atmosphere but with new flooring, disc golf merchandise and various farm prints, handmade jewelry, surreal paintings and more from about 40 local artists who range from 13 years old to 65-plus.
Coffee and pastries won’t be the only thing on the menu anymore. Pendley negotiated an agreement with the landlord to expand into the neighboring retail space to house Blyssa’s by The Spot, formerly Blyssa’s Bakery.
Once allowed, The Spot might even offer brunch on Sundays.
“It’s evolved into more than we expected,” Pendley said.
The new business hours will be Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
