BUCHANAN — When Molly Thornton and her parents Katherine and Mathew decided to open a coffee shop in Buchanan, they wanted to bring an “urban vibe” to downtown Buchanan.

Since the family opened Union Coffee House, people have flocked to the cafe to sample the latest food trends like smoothie bowls or get a classic caffeine fix.

This month, Union Coffee House, 115 E. Front St., celebrated eight years of business. Looking back on their original goal, Thornton said she feels they achieved just that.

“A couple of years ago, I looked around and realized we had accomplished that goal and created that atmosphere,” she said. “It was never necessarily about just coffee.”

To celebrate the anniversary, Union Coffee House hosted a party and paid homage to Katherine, who passed away last summer and played a pivotal role in getting the business off the ground.

“She was here every day that she could be,” Thornton  said, “opening it up for whoever was going to work that day and making all the coffees. She did a lot of behind the scenes from the day to day. But what came out of her mostly was her very jubilant personality and support center.” 

Customers who visited the coffee shop that day could sample some of Katherine’s favorite treats: peanut butter cups and beverage inspired by the dessert, too.

When Union Coffee House first opened, Thornton  said she wanted to give residents more options for food and coffee and tea beverages.

“We have built our menu around fresh and healthy ingredients and also around methods that did not require deep frying or handling a lot of raw meats,” Thornton  said. “We have a pretty large food menu that’s a little different than our neighboring restaurants. We still offer sandwiches and soups but with a little different twist.”

Those searching for something to satiate their hunger at Union Coffee House can find items like a grilled veggie burrito plate, quinoa dishes, homemade vegetarian soups, salads and a variety of breakfast bagels.

As for beverages, customers can find a variety of cold and hot coffee beverages. All coffee beans are locally roasted in Michigan. Teas and made from scratch smoothies also round out the menu. Most of the beverages are under $4.75, while most food plates are under $10.

Thornton said while there were times when the business struggled, she said she really started to see growth around the fifth and sixth year, when customers started to pour into the business year-round. She said offering customers the latest in food trends has helped to grow the business and expand taste pallets.

“We have always kept up with customer demands in terms of providing new drinks and specials,” she said. “When food trends change, we keep up with it.”

She also cited her staff and said many have been with the coffee shop for a number of years, some since it first opened its doors.

“We have a really strong staff with very low turnover,” she said. “Everybody is a very familiar face to customers that come in. We build these amazing relationships with our repeat customers and every year, we try to make more repeat customers and that really contributes to growth.”

What’s new?

This summer, Union Coffee House put out a smoothie bowl called the Purple Rain. It’s made of blueberries, strawberries, avocado and yogurt and topped with coconut flakes, pecans and chia seeds.