We have such incredible regulars. They’ve been a big support of me and of the coffee shop from day one. They’ve really done a great job keeping us going, especially during the winter months when it’s slower for all the businesses. They come in daily. They’re here faithfully. That says a lot about the people of Concord. Anytime any of us in the businesses here on Main Street or in our community need something, they are there when we call.

Another testament to the community is that we’ve had amazing staff at the coffee shop; a lot of college and high school girls. I’m amazed at their work ethic. They are good employees. They understand marketing and our reputation.

The other businesses in town have also been so supportive, I can’t even name them all. We’re all cheering each other on and helping each other grow.

There’s a lot of history here. We have the museums in town, including the Mann House, the Hubbard House and the Universalist Church. Those are big museums that really bring people together for those generations. But now we’re starting to see a younger generation come through. My goal is to be a kind of ‘welcome center’ to help get them acclimated into the community. We have a new family that moved here about three or four months ago from Birmingham. They’re a young family with a young daughter. He works for U of M, she’s a school teacher. I asked what brought them here, and they said they wanted out of the big city life. They wanted a community that’s walkable, where they could go down to the park and take their kids. We have old homes that are appealing but need work, and they’ve taken on fixing their home up and keeping that history alive.