Building the Valley: Coffee shop debuts in Vandergrift on the heels of successful 'sister' site in Freeport

If you had to pick a day to hold the grand opening for a new shop serving up steaming hot cups of fresh-ground coffee, a cold blustery one might just be the ticket.

The whipping wind sending light snow dancing through the streets of Vandergrift’s business district on Friday, Nov. 18 proved to be the picture-perfect setting for the debut of Grant Ave. Coffee Co.

Launched by business partners Virginia Lindsay and Karen Heilman, the shop is at 139 Grant Ave. The pair announced plans for the venture in August.

Business on the first day in Vandergrift was as brisk as the weather outside, said Lindsay, who opened Freeport’s 1833 Coffee and Tea Co. in August 2021.

“You never know what to expect the first day, but it’s been steady like this since we opened this morning,” she said while juggling multiple to-go orders for coffee and tea.

“Creating a sister location in Vandergrift just felt right to us. So it’s very exciting to finally open the doors and start doing business.”

The shop is a few doors down from the popular Allusion Brewing Co., which owns the storefront where the new coffee shop is located.

Lindsay said she and Heilman were not hunting for a second site to open a coffee shop until they were approached by one of Allusion Brewing’s owners, Robert Buchanan, who suggested the idea for a coffee shop in Vandergrift.

“Karen and I just decided to take a ride down to see the new East West Boutique that opened and to take a look around town to see what was happening in Vandergrift,” Lindsay said. “We visited the boutique and then went over to see the brewery. We were wearing our T-shirts from the coffee shop in Freeport, and Bob recognized it and we started talking. That’s when the seed was planted.”

Buchanan told the pair that people had been lamenting the lack of a coffee shop in town since he opened in the fall of 2020 in Vandergrift.

“That conversation changed our whole perspective,” Lindsay said. “We weren’t thinking about another location, but he gave us something to really consider.”

Lindsay and Heilman continued visiting Vandergrift to get a better feel for the community.

“We really love the town. And the more we talked about Bob’s suggestion, the closer we got to thinking that it was something that we could do.”

Alyssa Carr of North Apollo stopped by on the coffee shop’s first day with her son, Tyson, 3, in tow and picked up a bag of its signature coffee, which is supplied by 19 Coffee Co. in the South Hills.

“Honestly, this place is going to do great,” she said. “There’s really no other place around here where you can get good coffee.”

Lindsay and Heilman are hoping that people who regularly stop at a convenience store for their coffee fix will give theirs a try.

“Convenience stores all have coffee, and I’m not saying it’s bad,” Lindsay said. “But we offer an alternative that’s a high-quality treat for coffee lovers.”

Heather Springer, 25, and her sister, Ashley Walker, 29, both of East Vandergrift, stopped by on Grant Ave. Coffee Co.’s first day to sample the offerings.

Springer said it now will be her go-to place for coffee.

“I don’t like to make coffee at home, so I always get it while I’m out,” Springer said. “I usually stop by a convenience store. So it’s great to have a nice coffee shop for that now.”

In addition to freshly ground and brewed coffee, the shop also has a variety of organic, loose-leaf tea, smoothies, hot cocoas, cappuccinos, cold brews and lattes. There also is a selection of baked goods available daily.

Hours are from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.

Setting up shop in the business district also is part of the pair’s effort to use their business to support the community.

“We love the idea that we can help strengthen a community by providing a small place for people to meet up and gather, which is what coffee shops are really all about,” Lindsay said.