GAYLORD — GreyStone Coffee Company will be opening Wednesday in downtown Gaylord, and it is setting itself apart by offering coffee basics made with sustainably sourced beans and served with eco-friendly products.
Ian Murphy and his wife, Keri Anne, have taken over the storefront in between Saturn Booksellers and Fifth Third Bank at 127 W. Main St.
As part owner of the Iron Pig, Murphy is a familiar face in downtown Gaylord, and he knew the vacant location had a lot of potential.
“We just always said that this needs to be a coffee shop. It makes sense. It’s next to the bank and bookstore,” Murphy said. “There is a lot of traffic.”
Gary Scott from Go North Properties owns the location, and it has been empty for nearly two years. Murphy said no one had the capital or vision to do anything with the space, and he finally stepped up to transform the storefront. It also holds a special connection for him because his mother worked in the location for nearly a decade when it was an office space.
While Murphy is no stranger to being a business owner, serving coffee is a whole new endeavor for him. He isn’t a coffee drinker himself but said he has enjoyed creating a coffeehouse that is unique in its own right.
“I have been learning a lot about coffee, and it has been a fun experiment,” Murphy said.
The focus of GreyStone is creating well-made coffee and teas without all of the unnecessary embellishments so often associated with coffee shops.
“We joke that we are kind of the anti-coffee shop, coffee shop,” Murphy said with a laugh.
He has chosen to use Thrive Farmers as his source for all coffee and tea. The company works with farmers in Guatemala and offers profit sharing, creating a pricing model focused on quality instead of quantity. Murphy said he liked that they cut out the middleman, eliminating those who don’t add any value to the final product. In doing so, Thrive is providing sustainable wages for farmers.
“I think it is really neat that there is an opportunity for everyone just drinking a cup of coffee, they are actually kind of helping,” Murphy said.
He plans to keep the menu simple and straightforward with coffee drinks and pastries.
“Our mainstays are hot coffee, cold brew teas and hot chocolate,” he said.
One of the items he is most excited about is the cold brew hibiscus tea that sold him on the Thrive coffee line.
Murphy has also focused on using eco-friendly products to serve patrons.
“All our products are compostable,” Murphy explained. “We have paper straws, and we are trying to keep an environmental aspect to it.”
GreyStone also will feature online ordering and delivery service within a 5-mile radius for a $5 delivery fee.
The coffee shop has an open design with plenty of seating, and there will eventually be an outdoor patio as well.
GreyStone’s hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.