Church Street Coffee and Books
Chocolate makes everything better. That is what one of the original Church Street bakers reasoned when she was planning on breaking up with her boyfriend, so she whipped up a batch of her chocolate chip cookies to sweeten the news. Six years later, the infamous Breakup Cookie has a cult following in the Mountain Brook community.
Coffee shop owners Carrie Rollwagen and Cal Morris always envisioned opening a coffee and book shop that offered locals a place to congregate in Crestline Village. Both Morris and Rollwagen attended Samford University and went on to work in Mountain Brook.
Morris managed the Starbucks formerly located in Church Street Coffee and Books’ location for eight years, getting to know the local community and their caffeine habits well. Rollwagen handled the book side of Jonathan Benton, Bookseller, formerly located in Crestline. When the Starbucks space became available, they jumped at the opportunity, and Church Street Coffee and Books became a reality.
Church Street sells a wide variety of sweet treats healthier than you might think. Heather Morris, Cal Morris’ wife and the brains behind the popular bakery items, strives to use only natural ingredients in her recipes that include gluten-free and vegan options. The Morris’ personal philosophy of eating healthy is something they emphasis both at home and in the bakery.
Church Street’s coffee comes from Octane, a coffee company located in Homewood and Atlanta. Selling Octane coffee is part of Morris’ business plan that incorporates local ingredients and supports fellow Crestline businesses.
“We believe if you can buy local, you should do it as much as possible,” he said.
Morris and Rollwagen do more than just buy local. In September, Carrie organized a Shop Small Social neighborhood event offering discounts to local businesses Ivory and White, Laura Kathryn, A’Mano, The Pantry and Church Street. The event was successful, and Rollwagen hopes to continue similar events in the future.
Church Street is a quintessential neighborhood coffee shop. Welcoming baristas and comfortable seating create an atmosphere that lends itself to picking up a book and curling up with a cup of coffee. Fortunately, there is a handpicked, rotating selection available for purchase. Rollwagen employs her knack for knowing what customers want to read when ordering the shop’s books for children and adults.
“I try to put myself in the place of our customers and think about what they’d like to be reading. Then I research those subjects and reach out to the book reviewers and publishers I know to try to find the best of what’s available,” she said.
Customers can now place book orders by texting the store. The book will arrive a day or two later, and you can either pick it up or opt for their new free delivery service to the Mountain Brook community.
“I think it’ll be especially great around the holidays, since you’ll be able to just text or email us your order and we can process it, wrap them and deliver them to your doorstep,” Rollwagen said.
Book lovers are also welcome to join one of Church Street’s book clubs. The meet-ups offer locals a chance to connect over a great book and cup of coffee.
Whether it be host of a formal club meeting or just a morning caffeine pick-me-up, Morris is happy to be a hub for the Crestline community.
“We’re in the business of people. We just happen to sell really good coffee, pastries and quality books,” he said.