John Scarffe, Central City. Mayor Willie’s Coffee & Donuts opened on New Year’s Day 2020 at 125 Main Street in Central City with live music and a greatly successful start. They serve high quality coffee, tea, chai, fresh-made donuts and more. Now, due to the Covid-19 virus, owners Karen and Dave Beightol are asking for donations to help keep the shop open.
According to their Facebook page, the Beightols, along with a loving team of partners, helpers and investors, launched this venture to bring Main Street Central City quality, natural coffee, donuts, tea, pies, pastries and more, using only the best, all-natural ingredients. “You can expect the 5-star treatment you are used to when dealing with Karen and Dave.”
They also offer locally made gifts as well.
The Beightols have lived in this area since the turn of the century, when they moved from Indiana to Saint Mary’s Glacier in 2000. They owned and operated the highly successful Burger Joint Natural Grill from 2013 to 2018 and sold it at peak success. Then it failed due to the next owners.
“We had been asked many times to go back into the food service business, and the people in the area all wanted great coffee and donuts,” Dave said. When 125 Main Street became available, they figured it was perfect since it was on Main Street and right in the midst of the Opera House area.
“It was rather difficult to get going, as everything is up here -- much more time and cost involved than in many locations. Once we got all approved and running smooth, we discovered that when they reworked the water, sewer and sidewalks about 10 years ago, they were in a hurry and just filled some of the older sewer lines that were not being used at the time with concrete,” Dave said.
“When we opened up the kitchen, the water was just pouring out under the sidewalk.” It took two months to get it repaired during Covid, and they were unable to use the kitchen at all during this time, thus losing a great deal of curbside and pick up sales.
“Our donuts and coffee were a great hit right off the bat, and we added fantastic breakfasts to our menu,” Dave said. “We were busy every day and planning to add employees the first of April.”
With the Opera crew coming to town and all of the main street festivals, they expected to have a very busy summer and planned to be open early every day of the week. Once all was canceled due to Covid, it left them with very little traffic and super low sales.
“We have had to be open less days and hours as there is simply no early traffic at this point. The way things are in Central City, a small business must have a very good summer in order to make it through the slow winter,” Dave said.
“Now that our summer season has been canceled and no Opera crew in town, we are worried that we will not have the funds to make it to next Spring. Our landlord has been very understanding and has not forced us to pay during the pandemic, but we must at some point get caught up.”
The shop has been open six days a week for the last month now, but sales are still very low, because no one is around these days. “We knew pretty soon after the economic shut down that if the Opera and Festivals did not come, that we would not make it long,” Dave said.
“We have put in all that we have personally to stay afloat this long, and our gift shop is doing decent considering.” Without support from the community, they don’t see how they will make it to next Spring when big traffic might return.
“We feel like if we can get our back bills caught up, that we can likely continue through the cold season and really take off again next Spring,” Dave said.
According to their Facebook Page: “Covid-19 has completely taken away our chances of having a successful first summer of business at Mayor Willies Coffee & Donuts. We have been closed so long that we are way behind on rent and utilities.
They just canceled the last summer event for this year, the Hot Rod Hill Climb. “At this point, it appears that we simply must have donations from the community if we are going to be able to stay open through the winter season.
“Please find it in your hearts and bank accounts to donate funds to help us cover our Covid 19 issues. Thank you!”
To make a donation, go to https://www.facebook.com/donate/286293859101453/
(Originally published in the July 30, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)
