Catch a jolt with the java at the Coffee Cottage

Coffee is not just a morning eye-opener, it’s also a treat, a guilty little pleasure afforded by people when the economy doesn’t let them afford much else.

The Coffee Cottage is owned by Susan Rowe and opened in July of 2003. Over the past five years, it has become the routine stop for several customers. Located right beside Stoney’s Shell station, just off I-80 in Lexington, the gourmet shop is convenient and has easy in and out access.

Freshly ground coffee is constantly brewing and is available hot, iced, blended and flavored. Drinks are available with sugar, without sugar, low fat, low-carb or, if you’re not a coffee drinker, there’s hot chocolate, Italian sodas, fruit smoothies, tea and chai.

For the folks who need a little sugar to start their day, homemade pastries await by the panful. There are also buttermilk brownies, cinnamon rolls, scones, muffins, breakfast sandwiches and more.

For the man or woman who wants to be a hit at the workplace, five gallon cambros can be filled ahead and delivered straight to the office. In fact, with a little advance notice, the staff at the Coffee Cottage will deliver pastries and breakfast treats, too.

The delivery service offered by the Coffee Cottage is appreciated by her customers. Rowe has several teachers, office workers and hospital employees who regularly get together with their coworkers and place an order to be delivered.

A recent expansion allows coffee drinkers extra seating area and in the warmer months, chairs fill the front porch and free internet access is available.

“I wanted to make this a happy place where people could meet, relax and talk,” Rowe said

The new addition to the cottage also allows for small parties or social gatherings. The room, which can accommodate 12 to 15 people, was recently used for a bridal shower, but Rowe said the possibilities are endless.

“In a small town you have to accommodate anything and everything,” she said. “We’ll even reserve the room after business hours if a customer needs it.”

Rowe was trained as a barista by Bridgetown, an award-winning coffee supplier from Portland, Ore. The Coffee Cottage is equipped with commercial quality espresso machines, blender and steamers and the Coffee Cottage is the only gourmet coffee shop in Lexington to offer drive-through service.

Because Rowe has several customers who stop two or three times a day, she has recently started out giving them coupons with their morning order, good for 50 percent off their afternoon purchase.

“To maintain our high-quality, we receive a lot of samples from would-be suppliers,” Rowe said. “There’s a lot of stuff we turn down. I wouldn’t serve anything that wasn’t good.

In fact, Rowe explains, a few years ago she switched coffee companies, wanting to try something different. Her customers knew the difference and she immediately switched back to their favorite brand, deciding the best way to be competitive was to never skimp on quality.

That quality extends to the products customers may come in and purchase for themselves or for friends. In fact, for the hard-to-buy-for on your list this year, the Coffee Cottage offers gift baskets, gourmet coffee by the pound, prepaid drink cards and gift certificates.

The Coffee Cottage is open seven days a week, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. To order ahead or for a delivery of six or more coffees, call the staff at the Coffee Cottage at 324-0400.

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