http://www.birdiescoffee.com/ 410-848.7931 Explore Carroll: Kevin Dayhoff:
Birdie's Café: has Westminster MD's Main Street percolating once again
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Birdie's Café phone number: 410-848.7931
Location: 233 East Main Street,
Westminster, MD
21157
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Coffee, Birdie's Café, Westminster,
Maryland, explorecarroll.com,
Dayhoff, restaurants,
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Sherri Hosfeld Joseph sat with a sigh and a big smile. “Hi.
How are ya? How’s the coffee?”
To the delight of many a Main Street Westminster
caffeine addict, Joseph had opened a coffee shop - Birdie’s Café - on July 13th
in an historic brick building at 233
East Main Street.
After a run of about seven years, the coffee shop, The Pour
House, which once called the local coffee café and restaurant space in the old
stately colonial portion of Westminster,
had abruptly ceased operations on November 12, 2008.
Its absence was the source of caffeine-deprived headaches
and a blow to the eastern artistic and cultural mercantile bookend in Westminster which included the newly renovated Cockey’s
addition to the Historical Society of Carroll County campus across the street
and the Carroll Arts Center
on the western end of town.
After months of hard work, Joseph was more than relieved to
not only be open, but to also have plenty of customers perched upon the more
than 40 seats nested amidst the stylishly hip décor, warm colors and artwork
that served to compliment the coffee and tasty treats on the menu.
Joseph, a professional artist, designer, and photographer,
was able to utilize much of the fixtures and equipment left behind almost
two-years ago, however, she has worked since last January meticulously
cleaning, painting, and planning and researching every detail for the shop with
co-workers Danes Menges and Emily White
As Joseph shared smiles and accepted well wishes from
friends and local artists Susan Williamson and Becki Maurio seated at the
table, she explained that the Costa Rican coffee “is our own signature blend. You cannot buy this coffee anywhere but
here.”
“Dane and I spent a day in Pittsburg at the Iron Star Roasting Company
researching and selecting this particular blend of coffee,” explained Joseph.
“I’m so excited and happy about finally getting opened, but
I am so exhausted,” Joseph confided quietly as she smiled from ear to ear.
Outside the temperature was hot - approaching 100 degrees,
but it was cool inside of Birdie’s on the coffee shop’s second day of flight,
when Explore Carroll decided to stop for a look at the new business in town.
Maurio said Birdie’s “is a fantastic place to meet
friends. And it’s a great collection of
art…” she continued as she gazed about the room with a professorial eye.
Williamson spoke for many when she exclaimed “I’m ecstatic
that Birdie’s nested on Main
Street.
It’s important to – we need a coffee shop on Main Street. And besides, Dane’s hot,” she mused with a
wry mischievous grin.
Several customers, who were not feeling as bold as Williamson
was about being identified, agreed – that Dane is hot – and oh, they liked the
coffee too.
Jennifer Padrick, a customer from Westminster, sat totally engrossed in her
book, “The Maze Runner,” “a young-adult dystopian science fiction trilogy by
James Dashner.” As she looked up from
her book for a friendly but fleeting moment, she explained that she was a
“domestic goddess… I had a turkey
sandwich. It was good. I was hungry.” At that, she returned to her book… without
missing a beat.
Life lived like a Hallmark movie.
“It (the café) is a Hallmark (greeting) card – I’m a
Hallmark movie,” shared Joseph.
After graduating from Westminster
High School in 1989, Joseph, a native
of Carroll County could not wait to move out of
town. After a number of years attending
school at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the Manhattan School of Visual
Arts in New York City,
and participating in the edgy arts and cultural scene in the Big Apple - Joseph
could not wait to return home.
“I missed it… I
missed the traditions and values of Westminster,”
said Joseph, as her son, Xavier, joined her at the table.
It’s a family business.
The café is named after her five-year-old daughter, Scarlett
Tanager, explained Joseph, just as – as if on cue, Xavier, who was participating
in theater camp that day, had stopped by the café for a break and to run
errands with his Mom. “I’m very proud of
my Mother,” he said as he assessed his Mom being interviewed and encouraged his
Mom to move on to the next task on her busy schedule.
No stranger to the Main
Street business traditions in Westminster.
Upon her return to Westminster,
Joseph worked as a professional fundraiser for fifteen years. “One day I woke up and decided to shake up my
life and start a business.”
At a time when longstanding venerable Main Street businesses are shuttering
their shops and Westminster
continues to recoil from an entrenched recession and suffer through a political
period of widespread anti-business public policies; why on earth start a
business at this time?
“I’ve thoroughly researched it. I have a five-year business plan and I’ve got
passion for the traditions of Main
Street businesses…
My uncle owned The Flower Box for many years – I’m no stranger to
business,” said Joseph confidently.
Customers Alex Stamm and Jenna Winegar, North Carroll
High School graduates from
Hampstead, were more than happy to take a break from their computer and answer
a few questions.
Winegar, a dinner cruise ship photographer, explained that
she had discovered on Facebook that Birdie’s was opening. She immediately texted Alex, who works at
Harley Davidson of Maryland
as a technician and they could not wait to check it out.
“I love the atmosphere.
I love the layout,” said artist and photographer Winegar. Alex added that they “came all the time when
it was the Pour House. I’m glad
(Birdie’s) is open.”
At that point it was determined that interviewing the couple
holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes in the window seat might not be
such a good idea.
However, whether it is love that is in the air, or for the
love of art and ambience, or the love of community and coffee, Birdie’s is open
for business. Checking out the hot
barista behind the counter is optional.
That will be a large hot coffee with a shot of express. Make that two cups – one for Sherri. She could use it. Thank you very much.
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Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/) http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/
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