By Abby
My daughter fawning over a pink purse.
My daughter entered pre-school this fall, so naturally I’m getting to know other moms from my area. One mother in particular, a kindred spirit, told me about a local coffee shop. I like to support local businesses so I dropped by one afternoon and fell in love, even before I opened the door.
The front door, displaying two halves of the whole that is Starfish and Coffee.
Starfish and Coffee is a unique place. The owner/operator, Bethany Homrighaus, and her husband opened up shop one year ago, today, Friday Oct. 13th. They will be celebrating the shop’s birthday in style, with many events going on all weekend long. If you can’t make it out to celebrate, don’t worry. Starfish and Coffee offers new events and classes every week.
I had the chance to sit down with Bethany and ask her a few questions. Right off the bat I had to ask about the name. It seemed odd to me (I didn’t know it was a song by Prince). Bethany said that she wanted a name that would convey both aspects of her store: boutique and coffee shop. Pointing to the boutique side of the store she said, “This is starfish and that’s the coffee.”
I also asked about the combination of having a boutique and coffee shop. Like, why not just one or the other? Bethany explained to me that she originally wanted to open just a boutique. But when she and her husband found the location, it already had a bar. They had noticed while selling wares at the Painesville farmers’ market, for the past five years, that the vendors selling pour-over coffee always had a large line. “The coffee brings people in.” Then people look around the shop while waiting for their drink.
Beautiful silk scarves
But it’s the boutique that interested me. Bethany has been selling her beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry since 2003. She has an expert background in beading, coming from her experience working in a high quality bead store in Washington, D.C.
When I asked if running a coffee shop influenced her craft in any way, she said yes. The shop takes up a lot of her time so the designs have become 
simpler. Simplistic designs suit the customers as well; it makes giving them as gifts easier. She recognized a trend with customers while vending. People would say, “I would love to get this for so-and-so but I’m not sure they’ll like. I better just get it for myself instead.”
Bethany, like myself, is passionate about supporting the local community. She does just that, not only by giving the locals a warm and inviting place to hang out and maybe learn a thing or two; but also by using locally sourced products in her shop. She is involved in community organizations and she participates in community events, such as Fall Fest, happening this weekend on the square in Painesville.
You can find Starfish and Coffee at 154 Main St, Painesville, OH 44077
Please join us as we continue to think globally, act locally and enjoy a great cup of pour-over coffee!
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Abby & Elle Upstairs Fashion & Design 