A community-minded coffee shop is making sure the residents of Toms River stay caffeinated. Local favorite, Spire Coffeehouse, will be opening a second location later this year, reports local media outlet 105.7 The Hawk.
The cafe will be joining the Downtown Shops in a space at 53 Main Street. Spire Coffeehouse owner Bob Opitz explains to What Now Philadelphia that downtown Toms River’s revitalization makes it an ideal location for the shop. “I feel like the town is big enough and there was another coffee shop downtown that left.” he states. “People were telling me I should explore the downtown option, and I really enjoyed the area which is undergoing a resurgence. It felt like a good environment to try to get into.”
Spire has been enjoying a warm welcome at its current location, which helped Opitz feel confident enough to pursue a second store. He says: “We’ve been in our current shop for a little over a year and a half and things are going well. It just felt like we were hitting a good stride and maybe this would be a good opportunity, since the other coffee shop left. It was a matter of timing for what was available downtown and now that we know what we’re doing, we’re in a good spot.”
While visitors can look forward to the same great coffee they’ve come to expect from Spire, the downtown location will be smaller than the concept’s current home at 1922 Hooper Avenue. Opitz explains “The only deviation is in the space itself. Our current space is about 1400 square feet and the new space is about 300 square feet. We won’t be able to have the same kind of seating. It will be more of a walk in, grab a coffee, walk out versus a hang out.”
Even in a smaller space, Spire will continue to cultivate the warm, welcoming, local atmosphere that’s earned it so many fans. Opitz describes it, saying “We are an independent coffee shop and we specialize in coffees and teas, which are award winning coffees and teas from Crimson Cup coffee. The vibe that we go for is close to the community. There are alot of things that go on downtown that we’ll be a part of and that we have been a part of already.” He adds: “It’s really about being local. With the exception of our roaster, who is out of Ohio, everything else that we do is local. All of the baked goods and pastries we sell are from local bakeries.”
Future regulars eager to sip a cup of Spire’s java won’t have to wait too much longer. “I am hoping for an end of summer, beginning of fall opening.” Opitz states. “We’ve submitted the plans to the board of health and once they approve we can apply for construction permits. Once the permits are approved I think everything will go fairly quickly.”
