Grand opening of CF Coffee & Tea Co. will be Saturday, Aug. 17 in Theodosia
Times photo/Jessi Dreckman The newly opened CF Coffee & Tea Co. is located in suite A (the building closest to White Oak Station convenience store) in the strip mall off Highway 160 in Theodosia. The space is also home to CF Meat Co.. Both businesses are owned by Shanna and Erica Clayton.
Times photo/Jessi Dreckman CF Coffee & Tea Co. co-owner Erica Clayton is pictured here holding an iced Almond Joy latte, the signature special at CF Coffee & Tea Co. last week. The shop is located in the strip mall off Highway 160 in Theodosia and is now open for business. A grand opening event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17.
In addition to specialty drinks, CF Coffee & Tea Co. offers baked goods and snacks including Krispy Kreme donuts, which are brought in fresh twice a week. These blueberry cake donuts were available at the shop last week.
The residents of Theodosia have been buzzing with excitement over the opening of CF Coffee & Tea Co., located in the strip mall off Highway 160 in Theodosia. A grand opening celebration is slated for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, and everyone is invited.
What’s on the menu?
The shop offers up an extensive menu of speciality hot and iced coffees, espresso drinks, frappes, hot and iced teas, smoothies, bubble teas, milk teas, flavored sodas and more, ranging in price from $2.50 to $7.50 per drink. Dairy free, sugar free and vegan alternatives are available at no extra cost.
Customers can also order various Krispy Kreme donuts (brought in fresh twice weekly) and other pastries or baked goods to enjoy in the large and inviting space, which features various comfy leather chairs and sofas, traditional dining tables and a fun drink bar, giving viewers a look at the action of the baristas in the open-area kitchen space. A drive thru is under construction and expected to be completed soon, allowing quick service for busy customers on the go.
In a few weeks, the shop will expand to offer a number of “grab-and-go” type of breakfast items (things like hot breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches), and by the end of the year they plan to offer up lunch specials with a changing daily menu to feature options like pulled pork sandwiches, stir fry bowls, cold cuts and other casual meals.
A dream that became a reality
The shop is owned by local residents Shanna and Erica Clayton, the duo behind CF Meat Co., a meat shop that opened a few doors down in the strip mall in 2020, providing local farm-to-table meat, jams and jellies and other food products to local residents.
Erica says it’s been a dream of theirs to open a coffee shop for more than a decade, and that dream has also been shared by several people in the community, who have said they wished there was a local coffee shop closer. “Gainesville, Ava, Forsyth, Mountain Home... they all have coffee shops, but they’re quite a drive from Theodosia in any direction,” Erica said.
After three years of operating CF Meat Co. in a smaller and more central location within the strip mall, the more spacious suite A became available.
The location is at the far end of the building, closest to the gas station, and was big enough to put in both the meat shop counter, and their other dream - the new coffee and tea shop.
For locals, by locals
The store prides itself on sourcing local and regional ingredients when possible, including its coffee, which is purchased from The Roasterie in Kansas City.
Erica says she wants everyone to feel at home in the shop, and she welcomes customers to drop in to chat and stay awhile. “Stay all day if you want to. We won’t kick you out,” she said, laughing.
She said that the shop will be hosting fun community events in the future, things like craft nights, book club meetings, movie nights, along with ladies’ night and men’s morning gatherings.
Erica says the shop currently employs four high school students, a trend she’ll continue as a way to help teens learn the fundamentals of customer service including helping customers in a friendly manner, counting back change, showing up to work on time and other basic skills that can benefit them in the future, no matter what profession they choose.
Stop in or find out more
The shop is located in the far east building of the strip mall (5566 US Highway 160 in Theodosia) and is currently open seven days a week. It opens at 9 a.m. daily and closes at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 4 p.m. on Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Hours are expected to shift when school starts, with the shop opening earlier in the morning before 8 a.m. for customers who want to stop in before work or school.
For more information, search for “CF Coffee & Tea Co.” on Facbeook, visit www.cfcoffeeandteaco.com or call the shop at 417-273-2033.
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The Times offers free news articles for new Ozark County businesses, featuring a photo of the owner or owners at the new business and information about its offerings. To find out more, contact Editor Jessi Dreckman by emailing jessi@ozarkcountytimes.com or call 417-679-4641.