Excited about taking a risk

Coffee shop owner seeks to offer comfortable place for hanging out

By: Michelle Turcotte, Herald Times Reporter

MANITOWOC — Abby Garcia, owner of Jovial Coffee Company in Lakeshore Mall, 700 Magnolia Ave., jokes that her coffee shop sometimes feels like a community center.

But that's a good thing, since her core vision when opening the doors in December was to be a place for people to gather, in addition to getting a great cup of coffee.

"I tried to make it homey," said Garcia, 28. "I want it to be a place that people feel comfortable to come down and just read or hang out with friends, and we do have events going on … I don't want it to be Starbucks. I wanted it to be something a little more familiar."

Its name originates with the meaning of jovial, "a spirit of good fellowship."

The Manitowoc-native said she saw a need for such a place on the city's north side — a spot to host local musical talent, art and special events — and she decided to fill the void.

Her initial plan was to open a consignment furniture store. When that didn't work out, a mutual
acquaintance put Garcia in touch with Lakeshore Mall owner Steve Elkind, and the two found a shared vision.

"He is really into eco-friendly options, and so am I," Garcia said. "I like re-using and re-purposing. And he was telling me about his plans to bring the mall back to life, and that they'd really like a coffee shop out here, and I thought that sounded great."

Thankful for the opportunity

Garcia had a little trepidation about changing plans, but was happy to put her love for interior design and bargain hunting to good use.

"I'm just a flexible person," she said, "so even hough it wasn't the same idea, it was something I
could put my creativity into. I was just ready to do this, and I was thankful for the opportunity."

Garcia co-owns Jovial Coffee with her mother-in- law, Lori Garcia. In creating the new business'
interior, the pair did the manual labor themselves, aside from hiring licensed professionals for
electricity and plumbing.

They transformed the former jewelry store space into the coffee shop in about two months.


It features a couple couches, laptop stations with free Wi-Fi, a lending library and a flat-screen
television. An acoustic guitar rests against one wall under locally made art on display.

Garcia decided early on they'd serve Alterra coffee and tea products of Milwaukee, which are organic and free trade. A key element in their business plan was to create an eco-friendly enterprise. And the 4- month-old business continues to evolve.

They serve pastries from Hartman's and Uniquely Yours bakeries. Smoothies now are on the menu.

Tuesday mornings they host "Tuesday Tots," a social hour for toddlers and caregivers with weekly planned activities.

Every third Saturday is "open mic" night. Jovial Coffee hosts Zumba aerobics classes for an hour a couple days a week, which prompted Garcia's community center comparisons.

She hopes to start a monthly book club in May. But she's also careful to choose her endeavors wisely.

"One thing I learned running the business is to kind of be minimalist in a way," Garcia said. "Opening up
we thought we could do soup and sandwiches, too, and all these other things, and it's hard to do
everything well. I'd rather do one or two things really well than try to spread ourselves too thin."

Juggling family and business

Before opening Jovial Coffee, Garcia was a stay-at-home mom finishing her degree at Silver Lake College. The mother of two, ages 1 and 4, said it's time consuming balancing family and running her own business.

Garcia works split shifts, opening in the morning, and her sister-in-law working weekday afternoons, giving Garcia a few hours to feed the kids lunch and run errands before returning from 3 p.m. to close.

She most enjoys the creative outlet the shop provides, like coming up with new menu offerings and events, planning activities, and displaying the work of local artists.

"The hardest part is sitting here when no one is coming in," Garcia said. "That's when all the bad thoughts come in. But when you're busy, even like when you get someone's artwork to display, those kinds of things are so much fun because it's hopeful and exciting and new."

Though Garcia said considering the state of the mall they are doing well, her location does pose challenges, which is something she anticipated going into the endeavor.

Business at the mall is slow, she said, and Jovial Coffee doesn't have a street-view or outside foot traffic unless people come in the mall. "We still have people say, 'Oh, I didn't know you were here!" she said.

But Garcia loves what she does and is hopeful about the mall's future, citing Elkind's immediate plans to redo the parking lot, spruce up the landscaping and design a new exterior.

The anandoned portion of Lakeview Centre across Magnolia Avenue will be demolished to make room for a mixed-use complex of restaurants and offices.  She's also excited a new deli, Good Spirit Deli, is opening next door to her in May.

"So, hopefully, when all that stuff gets done it'll draw more attention out here and bring a crowd," said Garcia. "So I guess I've learned to be patient and to just roll with the punches.

"I say it's an adventure, it's a ride and it's a learning experience. It's worth the risk," Garcia said. "Either way, if it really makes it and does well or if it peters out, at least, I can say I tried and I took the experience."

Jovial Coffee, 700 E. Magnolia Ave. in Manitowoc, will begin new extended hours in May, opening each day at 7 a.m., closing at 3 p.m. Sunday to Tuesday, 7 p.m., Wednesday to Friday, and 6 p.m. on Saturday, with extended hours for special events.  Call (920) 652-9880 or visit its Facebook page for more information.

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