By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
As in all plans, great and small, it started with one singular idea.
Elizabeth VanHoutan McDermith and her husband Mike had a thought for expanding and enhancing their Main Street business, Yellow and Company.
Meanwhile – and with no thoughts originally of collaborating – Brooke Didier Starks and her husband Lee were bouncing around an idea for how he could spend some of his retirement time and serve a need that was unfulfilled in the community.
The dreams of each family were not identical, but there were enough similarities that they found common ground once they became aware of the other’s thought processes.
Soon they formed a partnership and teamed up to merge their separate ventures into one concept.
What will become a reality for the four Mahomet residents in 2020 – hopefully in the spring, they say – is a new business in the WesPark Plaza that will not only be next door (to the east) of Yellow and Company, but will also share an interior entrance with the other establishment.
Plans are underway for the creation of Company Coffee and Wine, which will sell coffee and wine daily along with some food items, craft beer and other spirits to be consumed on the premises or while shopping at Yellow and Company.
VanHoutan said the name is perfect because “there’s a lot you can do with that marketing-wise.”
The impetus for the project came about as VanHoutan listened to customers.
“So many people would come in, not from Mahomet, and ask where could they go to chat and get a drink or a cup of coffee,” said VanHoutan, who opened at her current location in May, 2018.
“I thought, ‘There’s a missed opportunity here.’ I thought if I had the money, I’d do it myself, but it wasn’t something I wanted to take on by myself.”
Her husband was supportive, and that set the wheels in motion. About six months ago, the couple quietly began looking for an investor to join forces with them.
Brooke Didier Starks was shopping at Yellow and Company one afternoon when she overheard another customer ask where they could go in town to get a beverage and talk.
“Brooke mentioned there is a need for such a place downtown,” VanHoutan said. “I said, ‘Call me later.’”
When they spoke, they realized what they couldn’t do alone, was very workable together.
“We had actively looked at a spot along Rt. 150 (near the library) and pursued it about two years ago,” Lee Starks said.
They encountered different obstacles, a big one being that Starks was still working full-time as a special agent for the Department of Homeland Security.
“I’m retired now,” said Starks, who spends some of his free time helping to coach the M-S high school football and track teams.
VanHoutan has some specific plans about what will – and won’t – be a part of Company Coffee and Wine.
“There won’t be a TV in the place,” she said. “There will be an emphasis on conversation, music and reconnecting with friends.
“People want ambiance and I have a degree in design. That’s right up my alley.”
The establishment will offer a variety of seating from couches to a banquet area to spots which will be more private.
“Or, you can connect to the Internet and have an informal meeting,” Lee Starks said.
In the McDermiths’ original plan, “we were just going to do coffee,” Elizabeth said.
The Starks meanwhile, were thinking along the lines of coffee in the morning and then focusing on wine and retail thereafter.
“That was pre-A.J.’s,” Lee Starks emphasized.
As they’ve merged their thoughts and tweaked their ideas, there won’t be any packaged liquor sales, although the store will be able to re-cork wine bottles which have been opened and partially consumed.
One mandate from the Village of Mahomet – which signed off on the plan at Tuesday night’s monthly meeting – is that a minimum of 40 percent of the annual sales at Company Coffee and Wine must be from food, coffee, soft drinks or wine.
“They don’t want it to be like a tavern and we don’t want that either,” said VanHoutan, who anticipates a range of prices.
“There will be some high-end (selections), but some that are more moderately priced, too,” she said.
The key, Lee Starks added is, “we want a nice variety.”
Details on many of the specific offerings are still being worked out, but VanHoutan expects there could be some charcuterie trays in the evening which would feature a variety of meat, cheese, fruit, toast and sauces.
“We won’t have a full kitchen, but we can do the assembling,” VanHoutan said.
She wants the breakfast-related items to focus on “healthy choices,” and said she would like to eventually branch into “vegan and vegetarian items.”
The business will not have drive-through capabilities, but will reserve two dedicated spots for “to-go customers,” who want to quickly get a cup of coffee and a muffin in the morning or a charcuterie tray after work.
The co-owners see several groups which may find the business of interest.
“Especially in the summer with how active the parks get – and if they start a kayak launch at the (Sangamon) River – maybe when they’re done, they’ll want to get a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and there aren’t a lot of places to go,” Lee Starks said.
McDermith believes that it would be a good setting for parents who drop their children off for birthday parties or Paint Like Me parties next door and want to hang around.
“This will be an option of somewhere to go while they’re waiting for the kids to get done,” Mike McDermith said.
Business hours for the new venture have not yet been finalized, but the thought is Company Coffee and Wine could open at 7 a.m. and stay open until 10 p.m., although Mike McDermith said, “we’ll roll with the demand.”
VanHoutan said the hours at Yellow and Company “will become a little different,” once the second business gets into full operation.
Early feedback, she said, “has been really positive,” although she has noticed one misperception.
“The natural assumption is that it is Mike and I,” she said, “but it’s a four-person partnership.”
The co-owners won’t be able to handle the workload by themselves.
“We will have staff,” said VanHoutan, who has already made an offer to a barista.
Now that the Village has granted approval, it’s full-speed ahead for the entrepreneurs.
They are learning that the process does not always move at the speed they would desire.
“There’s a timing dynamic and everything has to be just right,” Lee Starks said.
“It’s harder than I anticipated,” VanHoutan said. “There are things where you have to get this license before you can get (the next one).”
She is, however, in no way discouraged.
“I’m very excited,” VanHoutan said. “This fits perfectly with everything else that’s going on here.”
Added McDermith: “I feel it’s a great fit to pull people back into the community. We’re not trying to replace anything.
“We think it’s a great alternative and a nice addition to downtown.”
Also in the works is to offer a venue for occasional live music, though VanHoutan emphasized it won’t be loud and raucous.
“This will be more of a quiet, cozy atmosphere,” she said.
When they say that everyone will be welcome, they truly plan to be all-inclusive.
“This will be a pet-friendly place,” Lee Starks added.
