Williamsport, Pa. — The owners of a new coffee shop hope to bring a sense of camaraderie and community to their new space in Williamsport’s Old City.
Sweetspire Coffee and Bakery, located at 124 East Fourth Street near Lycoming College, will offer not only coffee and baked goods but also space for meetings, events, lectures, and craft classes. The cafe is set to open to the public at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18.
“We want to use this as a space where we can bring together the community. We want the community to grow and be able to meet each other,” said Caroline Payne, one of the owners of Sweetspire and a political science professor at Lycoming College.
Payne is running the coffee shop in partnership with her husband, Nate Steele, and Brittney Gross, director of coffee at the cafe. The shop will offer freshly roasted coffee made on the premises, handmade pastries, and grab-and-go lunch options.
The 2,500-square foot space will hold events weekly, including a plant cutting exchange, build-your-own coffee mug pottery class, a monthly art gallery, and more. Customers may also use the space for meetings or study groups.
Payne hopes the upcoming planned events at the cafe will bring people together and start new friendships. She got the idea through her own experience. “As somebody as an adult who moved here for a job, I found it difficult to meet people,” said Payne, who moved here previously from the Southern United States to take a teaching position at the college.
Fresh brewed coffee options
Coffee, which also will be available for wholesale, is made on site with a 3-kilo roaster. “We’re trying to roast our coffees from all around the world,” Gross said. Coffee beans used for their brews come from Columbia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Ethiopia. There’s many coffee options on the menu, including seasonal offerings, specialty drinks such as lattes, macchiatos, pour overs, and frozen coffees. Hot teas from Rishi Teas of Minneapolis also are offered. Additionally, Sweetspire sells energy fusion drinks and smoothies.
Gross, who previously was a student at Lycoming College, first got involved in coffee roasting through the college’s Warrior Coffee Project. The project, founded by Payne in 2013, takes students to remote coffee growing regions where they work directly with farmers to support them through economic development projects. Students learn the coffee trade while working with project partners in such places as the Dominican Republic.
Gross was one of the early participants in the project and has since made a career out of coffee working as a Q grader and wholesale roaster with Speedwell Coffee before returning to Williamsport to develop her own wholesale coffee program.
Payne said Gross’s career in coffee has “skyrocketed” since her beginnings with the Warrior Coffee Project. “She’s really become a coffee professional,” Payne said.
Southern charm and sweet treats
Pastries offered will have a Southern flair, including traditional sweets and savories as well as original creations such as the Sweetspire Smoky and Chantilly Puff. “Caroline and I have spent most of our formative years in the South,” Steele said, adding that he grew up in Texas. Payne grew up in Tennessee. “Some of the recipes come from my family,” Steele said.
Large family gatherings with lots of food was the norm as part of their upbringing. Steele and Payne love to host, that that experience is something they carry from their Southern background. “Food and company is what we want to provide,” Steele said.
One Southern item that will will be offered is pimento cheese sandwiches. The sandwich, which is popular in the South, is made with cheese, mayo, pepper, and seasonings, Steele said. Steele also will be baking fresh specialties in the morning including biscuits.
Large groups will be accommodated at Sweetspire as well, as the cafe will offer pastry platters and to-go drink options as part of their off-site catering.
For those eating in-house, other options will include grab-and-go treats including salads, yogurt, and granola bars.
Community events create a sense of community
The owners of Sweetspire hope to become a community hub where friends and business partners can meet. Those who want to hold meetings or work groups are welcome to use the space, which has plenty of comfortable couches and chairs.
Payne said that though there are other coffee shops in the area, most do not have the space for events. “One of the things we felt is unique is the community space,” Payne said.
The cafe is scheduling a number of events in the first few weeks, in hopes that people will see the space and get inspired. “We really want people to see the space and decide what they want to do,” Payne said.
On the agenda for the first week is an artist gallery talk and opening at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20 with Lynn Estomin and Jeremy Ramsey. Tuesday, Oct. 21 the cafe will offering a Tasting Tuesday event at 2 p.m. where customers can sample different coffees. A Common Grounds discussion group will be offered at 6:30 p.m. that evening, with discussion centering on current issues and community.
The first plant cutting exchange will be offered 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22. Participants may bring one or more plant cutting to swap with others. Payne said she may eventually offering seed exchanges as well when it’s close to gardening season.
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 the first Lattes and Lectures session will be held with a talk from Dr. Mary Kate O’Donnell about her rattlesnake research. Friday, Oct. 24 will be a Make Your Own Mug workshop with Factory Works Clay Studio. Pre-registration and fees will apply.
Sweetspire will be open later hours to accommodate events and gatherings. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
A calendar of events and additional information will be available on the cafe’s website, as well as their Facebook page, and Instagram.
“Our vision creates a space of excellence and careful attention to detail in the coffee we source and roast, and the food we bake, and the space that we curate for our community,” Steele said.
