By Chase Holmes, News Reporter
TRUSSVILLE — Maple Avenue Coffee House opened last Thursday and has enjoyed the support of a community that welcomed it with open arms.
Tracy Delaney, owner and operator of Maple Avenue, said their first week has been better than she and her team ever expected. From the City of Trussville, to its residents, Delaney said she couldn’t be more appreciative of all the support.
“The overwhelming support, and encouragement and the kind words. Everybody who came in here had a kind word,” she said. “I was overwhelmed. I didn’t even have the words. I think it took me two days to process everything because I was so touched and humbled by the response of people’s kindness.”
Delaney first started the journey to open her coffee house over a year ago, and after much anticipation everything fell into place.
“I think the opening happened exactly when it was supposed to,” she said. “I would not have said this a couple months ago, but I could not be happier that it is happening right now. In this moment, at this time. It’s just perfect. This week has been fantastic.”
As happy as she is that Maple Avenue turned out the way it did, she wasn’t always sold on it. Delaney grew up in Trussville. She has family that lives here, and it was the town she choose to raise her own family. Starting her business in Trussville was a no-brainer, but the decision to build it on Maple Avenue came later. Before a cup of coffee was ever brewed inside its walls, Maple Avenue was once an accountant’s office.
“We walked in and it was still set up like a house even though it was an accountant’s office,” she said. “There was two bedrooms and a bathroom. A living room and a kitchen. I had to really dig into my vision of ‘can this be it’ and I just knew I wanted it to be in a house. I did not want to do a cookie-cutter space. I did not want to do a strip mall or a little office building. I wanted to be in a house.”
Maple Avenue sits on the road it shares a name with and contains a large backyard lot that is still under construction. If there was no sign to tell patrons any different, they might be excused in thinking they were pulling into someone’s house. That is exactly how Delaney wanted it to feel.
“I want people to come in and feel kinda like you walked into your friend’s house. Comfortable and welcome,” she said. “People are doing exactly what I dreamed of. They are sitting together in these chairs and talking and having coffee. They’re getting their computers out. They’re having work meetings. A group of 10 ladies came after playing tennis. I just thought, ‘oh my gosh, this is exactly my dream’. They’re using this place for exactly what I wanted them to be able to get out of it.”
By taking the entire scope of the building into account it is apparent that there is something for everyone to be found in Maple Avenue. Intimate, two chair tables for those any-time-of-day coffee break conversations sit near an extended bar for larger parties maybe less interested in eye contact while they chat. A Christmas tree and comfortable decor give it that homey feel Delaney was looking for. Around the corner, a comfortable and cozy-lit niche of several large arm chairs invite the two or three cup getters to sit and think about their day. Just past the armchairs, a back porch and the aforementioned in-progress backyard await. Round tables with umbrellas dot the decking boards. On the other side of the house that faces Highway 11, a screened in porch is available with several chairs and tables. Just outside of the porch, a seating area stretches the length of the building.
While this is plenty of room for most to enjoy their cup of coffee, Delaney isn’t stopping there. The backyard is near the length of a football field and she has vision in mind for its future.
“The vision is to be able to have people come and hear live music, play some bocce ball, cornhole, horseshoes. Just let the kids and the dogs run around and play. Just a space where there is plenty of room. People can say, ‘I’d like to have a gathering here of some sort’ and just have all kinds of space. There will be food trucks here occasionally, hopefully regularly. Its just wide open. There is so much potential for it and we’re just going to have something for everybody to do,” she said. “I want to do a pumpkin patch, I want to do a Christmas tree farm, I want to do family nights where we have a movie on a blow up screen. Fun things like that. The possibilities are endless.”
Parking for golf carts is being added by recommendation from the city based off their growing popularity in Trussville.
Delaney said renovations will take a couple of months to wrap up but she hopes to have the outdoor area finished for when the weather warms up and people are ready to enjoy it. Once it is done, the space will also be available to rent.
In the meantime, Maple Avenue has a wide variety of drinks on their menu to do the warming for them. Espresso galore in many forms are available, whether that be in a mocha, latte, or one of their special menu items like Sweater Weather which is made with cinnamon, honey, and vanilla. Delaney said she spent the past six months perfecting the recipe at home and it has become her personal favorite. “That by far has been the most popular,” she said. Sweater Weather is available both hot and cold.
Their non-coffee menu items have also been a hit. “The cider is very popular. Maybe that’s because there are some people who don’t necessarily love cider, and so go with the cider option which is great,” she said. “Some hot teas have been pretty popular. Those are probably the biggest sellers.”
For those looking to get their Christmas seasonal fix, Maple Avenue has you covered. A peppermint coffee drink is planned to release some time in the next two weeks and they have other flavors brewing for the holiday season.
Baked goods are also available to order. Just beside the order counter sits a bagel warming station. Maple Avenue orders their bagels daily from Cahaba Breads and Bagels.
“When I started this journey, I knew I wanted to support other small, local businesses. I knew I wanted to go local bakery, local coffee roaster,” Delaney said. “Everybody loves the pastries we’re selling. Everybody loves Cahaba Bread and Bagels.”
Maple Avenue uses Red Bike Coffee Roasters out of Irondale for their beans. Delaney said she tried out several different roasters and didn’t find one as good as Red Bike. “I love that we’re supporting each other and their espresso is just good. I’m super happy to be a partner with them,” she said.
In the coming weeks, Maple Avenue plans expand their retail options. Delaney said she wants to host local artist and crafts. The syrups Maple Avenue use in their coffee will be available for sale in the future. Short sleeve shirts are available now but long sleeve shirts are on the way. Gift cards will be available soon.
Maple Avenue is located at 110 Maple Ave and they are open Tuesday-Saturday from 7 a.m- 3 p.m. They plan to adjust their hours in the future.
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