Button Willow General Store & Coffee Shop Has Found Its Niche
Cheyenne Silcox stops in at Button Willow General Store & Coffee Shop every chance she gets. She says it’s the best specialty coffee in town. She might order one of her favorites — a caramel brown sugar latte with cold foam — or she might ask the barista to surprise her. Either way, she knows it’s going to be good.
“This is my first recommendation when someone is looking for a place to visit in Smithville,” she says.
Joe and Angela Brown love to hear those words from satisfied customers. They tell the story of how the business has evolved since opening in 2016. Now, the Button Willow General Store & Coffee Shop has found its niche.
In addition to the coffee, specialty items set Button Willow apart. The Button Willow General Store has something for everyone, whether it’s a humidor for fine cigars or works from local artists and potters. There are even popular lines of blankets, bags and t-shirts. Visitors can also find fresh-ground almond and peanut butters, roasted coffees, and specialty kitchen items like flavored olive oils and Not Enough Thyme spices. “We carry a variety of items, and it’s not like anything else you’ll find around here,” Joe says.
Early Days
Joe and Angela, who worked in the restaurant business for many years, moved to Smithville in 2014 for retirement. Things didn’t go quite as planned, though, and retirement was short-lived. Angela opened a small shop to sell merchandise and had space for a few vendor booths. “My wife always wanted to open a merchandise shop,” Joe says. “So, we kept piddling around with ideas and opened in 2016.”
They initially named the store Treasures on Main, and Angela sold clothing, antiques and knickknacks. “We had very humble beginnings,” Joe says.
Treasures on Main used the acronym TOM, and they had a statue out front bearing that name. “People would ask me if I was Tom,” Joe says.
As business expanded, the couple wanted to do something a little different. “We thought, ‘We both like coffee. What if we got a small machine, an ice chest and a little cart and put it in the back of the store?” Joe says.
The coffee shop thrived, but there wasn’t room to grow. They moved to a location across the street and decided to change the name so there was no confusion about “TOM’s” identity.
Angela, who loves willow trees, created a logo using willow stems. She incorporated a button, and the name Button Willow General Store & Coffee House came to life.
With a new name and a new location, the Browns expanded. “In our minds, it wasn’t new,” Joe says. “We’ve just been evolving.”
Business slowed during COVID-19, but that time proved to be an opportunity to revamp, and they offered grab-and-go options, curbside pickup and orders through Facebook Messenger. “We had a banner year,” Joe says.
They remodeled the store and reopened on Jan. 1, 2022 with more seating. Also, merchandise is now sorted by category, so it’s easier to shop. “If you’re looking for the perfect, unique gift, Button Willow General Store & Coffee Shop is the answer,” Joe says.
Coffee & Much More
Even with expanding merchandise sales, the coffee shop continues to be one of the most popular offerings. They found their niche with frappe-style drinks, using them as a base for dozens of flavors. They even customize drinks to customers’ preference. “We sell more frappes than anything,” Joe says.
The barista can add boba, which consists of tapioca pearls that add a chewy texture and are relatively healthy in comparison to other sugary drinks. “It’s a milkshake consistency, and there’s just about any flavor you want,” Joe says. “It’s very popular.”
They also offer Italian creme sodas and love creating new flavors. There’s the Three Amigos, a combination of cayenne, cinnamon and chocolate, which gives just a tiny kick. Or there’s the churro frappe with cinnamon cold foam.
And candy bar and dessert-themed drinks such as Almond Joy, Milky Way and Butterfinger bars, alongside chocolate covered strawberries. are popular additions. In spring or summer, choose a raspberry lemonade or a cool, fruity frappe flavor like peach or pineapple. Iced caramel macchiato with brown sugar cold foam is a favorite, too, and the couple sells plenty of black coffee from beans roasted and ground locally. “It’s better than anything you’ll find at one of the chain stores,” Joe says.
A local baker also sells at the store, providing something for the sweet tooth. DTC’s fiber internet provides enough bandwidth to easily accommodate the point-of-sale records, along with updating on social media and free Wi-Fi in the coffee shop. “It makes a big difference, having access to DTC’s fiber internet,” Joe says.
Courtesy of DTC