AN award-winning coffee shop business is on its way to Shepton Mallet – with much more than just serving up hot drinks on its mind.
Karen Mercer and Gunter Hollenstein, co-founders of My Coffee Stop, describe the town as "a hidden jewel" and say they hope to give the entire area a boost.
The pair searched for new shops across the country to expand their business, before discovering what used to be Penny's Sweets shop, before they moved next door, as the best location for its second branch.
Karen said: "I thought: 'I am going to search the whole of the UK for shops', when I saw this cute little building which used to be Penny's Sweets."
When the couple visited the town for the first time to view the premises, they thought it was perfect because it had a good vibe and boasted many independent businesses.
My Coffee Stop first opened on Platform 1, Enfield train station, in February 2009 and since then has scooped several awards, including being the winner of Enterprise Enfield's Green Business of the Year and the North and West London Business Awards for Innovation.
The co-founders pride themselves on helping to foster a strong sense of community and introduced a variety of initiatives with this in mind, such as a book-swap scheme which raises cash for a good cause.
Karen said: "We are going to connect with a local community cause in Shepton Mallet and we will let you know which one soon."
Another initiative that evolved in Enfield which Karen aims to bring to Shepton is the Shock Cash Mob campaign.
It is a simple idea that aims to boost independent business profiles and profits and inject more cash into the area's economy.
A small group of people, around ten, each bring £10 and descend unexpectedly on a shop to spend it all – often leading to publicity for that business.
"It's exciting, fun and it works," said Karen.
In addition to this, in time, Karen aims to bring businesses together to promote the town via social networking, something which she says has had a positive result in Enfield.
Karen said: "We're really excited about joining the Shepton Mallet community – I'm an outsider and I came here and saw how pretty it is.
"I aim to give as much as I possibly can, I really want to give to the community."
The shop is due to open later this month.
