Serenity Café opens Monday

Local residents can again enjoy a coffee and a casual atmosphere at 10th Avenue and Jackson Street in Sidney.

Formerly known as the Coffee and Book Corner and then the Blue Rooster Bakery and Café, Sidney's newest coffee shop has officially morphed into the Serenity Café.

Although new to owning and operating a business, Stevie Huson and Mike Kershaw, both of Dalton, are excited to take on this new adventure.

"We've been talking about doing this for a long time," Kershaw said. "We thought with Starbucks and the Blue Rooster that there wasn't really a market for a shop unless we did something different. Our focus for a long time was to try and find somewhere we could put a drive-in in, and that really proved to be difficult. When this opportunity became available we had to grab it."

"My sisters and my daughter grew up working and hanging out at the Coffee Corner, and when that was gone, they didn't really have a place to hang out," Huson said. "Creating a space where anyone is welcome is really what got us thinking about it more."

Instead of making changes, Huson and Kershaw want to revert back to the building's original coffee shop, the Coffee Corner.

Kershaw said that it's about going back to what the community is familiar with instead of making huge changes.

"We are going to be doing things very similar to what Barb (the Coffee Corner's original owner) was doing minus the books," he said. "We will have coffee, lattes, frappes and pastries. Jet teas are also coming back. In the longer term plan, we will include more retail items and possibly expanding the menu offerings."

Plans, for what used to be the Book Corner, have been transformed into a space that is all about being able to have relaxing atmosphere to read, surf the Internet or just hang out with friends. There is a children's area where kids can sit and play, a reading and sitting area and board games.

"In this area, we have a book exchange where anyone can take a book as long as they leave one in its place," Kershaw said. "We don't sell any of the books, so it's strictly take a book, leave a book. "

Huson and Kershaw agreed that they wanted the space to be utilized as a "hang out" spot for everyone in the community to have a place to come and relax.

"We want this to be a nice serene place for people to hang out with no pressures," he said. "Hopefully people will bring their laptops or work on homework while having a jet tea. We want to try and offer something for everyone."

Huson said she is looking forward to bringing in the community and getting to know everyone.

Serenity Café will hold its grand opening on Monday at 6:30 a.m.