Lori and B.J. McCreary, with son Conner, recently bought the Hub Coffee House and Cafe after it reminded them of their favorite hangout in Seattle. (David Brock photo) |
Coffee has been has always been in the hearts of B.J. and Lori McCreary and their love for the drink and places where it is served led them to the heart of Danville.
The Lexington couple recently purchased the Hub Coffee House & Cafe, along with Common Grounds in Lexington, from owner Jim Davis, who opened the store in the old Hub Frankel department store building in 2005.
Davis has owned coffee houses around the state for years and was working with the McCrearys through his company, Esspressomedic, as a consultant. While Davis, who will stay on as a consultant for the next two years, was helping the couple search for their dream location, they realized parts of their favorite coffee house they once frequented already existed in the Hub and Common Grounds.
“Jim did a great job capturing the character of what we saw in the coffee houses in Seattle,” B.J. said. “He understands the business, systems and processes extremely well, but he also knows how important it is to hire quality people. That means we get to really focus on marketing and everything we can do to enhance what is here.”
If regulars haven’t noticed much of a difference in aesthetics or the operation of the business, the couple’s plans are working. The look, staff and most of the menu will remain the same. One thing the couple want to increase is the amount of ingredients used in dishes, part of what B.J. said will help further bind the business to the community.
The McCrearys brought their affinity for coffee with them when they moved to Lexington from the Pacific Northwest for B.J.’s software job.
Lori, an accountant by trade, grew up around Seattle where most of her friends worked at coffee shops. She took it a step further, starting a coffee shop of her own at her school. B.J. wasn’t from Seattle, but said he quickly assimilated to the coffee culture.
The couple’s shared passion for good java was actually the backdrop and an icebreaker when they met for the first time through the online dating service Match.com.
Lori said one of the initial conversations on their first date — at a coffee house — was about B.J.’s dream of one day operating a coffee shop and book store of his own. When they saw the set up of the Hub adjoining the Centre College Bookstore, it evoked images of what he had been constructing in his mind for years.
Instead of a way station where commuters leave their money going to and from work, the idea is to maintain the Hub’s role as a place where work is done and hours are spent.
“It should be a place to have a business meeting and somewhere people want to come and hang out without feeling like they are being pushed out the door,” Lori said.
The McCrearys weren’t only thinking about their own livelihoods when they decided to run coffee shops and their aspiration bodes well for those hoping the Hub will have similar staying power as a coffee house as it did as a department store. While anyone embarking on a business venture hopes for longevity, they both say they want the store to be around for generations.
“We wanted to start a family business,” Lori said. “It was really important for us that it would be something we could pass on to our sons.”
