When my family returned home to small-town Jackson in 2001, I wished for a coffee house – a little cafe to spend a few hours catching up on some computer work while enjoying a latte and a homemade muffin while my boys were at school.
Instead, I settled for a home countertop espresso machine and waited for someone to open my dream hangout. For fifteen years.
While attending a fundraiser for Appalachian youth, a speaker shared a quote – “The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water it.”
It really hit home! I had spent fifteen years wishing for something more, something different, somewhere different – but what had I done to “water the grass,” in this small town, so to speak?
With a background in marketing, a passion for great coffee and customer service, and experience in both retail sales and restaurant service, a little coffee house seemed a perfect fit.
We purchased the building at 298 E. Main Street in January 2017. The building had been home to a tax service and also was a women’s dress shop, “The Fashion,” for 47 years. The dressing rooms and clothes racks were still intact, as well as some shelving and folding table used by The Stewarts. We spent every evening and weekend for the next five months working on the renovation of the first floor, and in addition, learning everything we could about coffee and equipment.
The Spot on Main opened in late May 2017 serving specialty coffee drinks and pastries prepared by an off-site pastry chef. By October, we added a full cafe menu and added additional indoor and outdoor seating. In August 2018, we began baking all of our own pastries, muffins, and cookies.
In 2019, The Spot on Main was approached by customer and Film Director Nicole Riegel about catering a month-long movie set in Jackson and southern Ohio, a project which further catapulted the business. Shortly after, the Massie’s purchased a second building on Harding Avenue for future development.
The Spot on Main’s latest endeavor, in collaboration with JobsOhio, Ohio Southeast Economic Development and the Jackson County Economic Development Partnership, is investing $58,000 in its business to roast their own coffee and expand e-commerce capabilities to broaden the reach of products.
The Spot on Main employs 16 local individuals, 7 of whom are full-time. We are open six days a week and along with specialty coffees, The Spot on Main offers many menu items for breakfast and lunch, including gluten-free offerings. You can choose eggs and bacon, Steve Evans Sausage, waffles, smoothie bowls, avocado toast, housemade granola, sandwiches, salads, and soups. The Spot on Main bakes fresh pastries, muffins, cookies, and desserts in-house daily. They offer bagged coffee, corporate catering packages, and special order bakery items.
Whether it’s a business meeting, having lunch, or just sitting with a friend to enjoy a great cup of coffee and conversation, The Spot on Main is the “Spot” to be.