A well-known business along Highway 11 in Oro-Medonte is about to close its doors after nearly two decades.
The Country Style Coffee Shop in Gasoline Alley has been home for a group of friends every morning for two decades.
“Some guys will come in, grab a coffee, say hello, walk around and leave. Others like myself will come in and shoot the breeze for an hour,” says Brian Hanna.
The conversation varies from trucks and tractors, to family and of course local politics and the group has been through a lot.
“We have shared a lot of things happening with families, births, deaths, movements stuff like that. We’ve had a couple guys pass away from the group, gone to their funerals,” says Sandy Richmond.
Marilyn Allen plays a role too; she’s been pouring their coffee for nearly 20 years.
“You walk up to the counter, there’s nine guys in front of you and she hands you your coffee,” says Brian Hanna.
“I have people that come in here, their babies were born and now I see them as teenagers,” says Allen.
But all of this is about change; regulars at the coffee shop will have their last coffee on Sunday before it closes for good.
The owner, Chen Ly, says he’s closing because he’s simply ready to retire. In order to sell the franchise he would have to sign a five year lease with Country Style before putting up for sale and right he says he can’t take that risk.
Ly says he’s upset for his staff who will be out of work and for his customers who have become friends. The last think he wanted to do was interrupt someone’s morning coffee routine.
“It’s like a community club here; all the guys gather in the morning, sit down for a couple hours before they go to work. We know everyone by name,” adds Ly.
“You get to know all these people over the years and every day you come in and their like family. Now I am not going to see them in the morning,” says Allen.
While they’re not sure where they’ll end up, the group is confident their friendships will survive the move to a new coffee shop.
