Business is Perking Up
By Anthony Gadson
PLYMOUTH � Later this month, yet another new business will open in downtown Plymouth, when LaPorte Street Coffee House, 105 W. LaPorte St., opens for business.
Owners Julie Klinedinst and Tonya Wraight are aiming to kick their business off on March 25.
The duo, neighbors and friends, have been looking to start a business. They have chosen a coffee shop.
�I moved here from the West coast, where there is a coffee shop on every corner,� Klinedinst said. She moved in from Oregon four years ago. �Then, when I moved here, there are no shops to be found.�
Their shop will serve homemade candies, cookies, smoothies, teas and muffins along with coffee, cappuccino and lattes.
The coffee will also be very similar to the ones served at the former Old World Cup coffee shop. They have spoken with Mark Neidig, that store�s former owner, and received tips on his coffee secrets.
�We talked to Mark and got a lot of good advice on what to do to be successful; so we plan to mimic that plan,� Wraight said.
There will also be two part-time employees working at the shop, each specializing in a specific area. Chris Garner was hired after working at Old World Cup. Her experience there impressed the new bosses. Gail Fisher was hired for her cooking skills.
�Gail came in one day with her homemade candy and baked goods and asked us if we were interested in buying any,� Klinedinst said about the impromptu meeting with Fisher. �We had already planned on serving the homemade goods, so we hired her.�
This will be the first business venture for Wraight, a Plymouth High School graduate, who also works at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. It will be Klinedinst�s second venture. She ran a hair salon for 15 years.
Klinedinst is concentrating all her efforts toward the project. Most recently, she worked at the Plymouth Water Department.
�I�m ready to put 100 percent effort into this,� she said.
The owners are hoping that the laid-back feeling of their shop, with couches, a television, and an informal meeting area, will draw customers. They have already had people knocking on their door inquiring about the status of the shop and are ready for opening day.
�I am absolutely excited,� Wraight said. �I think that the community may be even more excited than I am, though.�
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