Edinburg coffee shop invites patrons to... come get your
fill
By Elizabeth Wilkerson --
Daily Staff Writer
EDINBURG — At The Filling Station, there's more fulfillment
to be had than that which comes from a hot cup of coffee or even a
decadent pastry.
"We wanted a name that would go with being filled with coffee
or being filled with the Holy Spirit," Debbie Sellers, one of the
shop's owners, said Tuesday. And customers can choose to have one,
the other or a little of both, she said.
Sellers, along with her husband, Eric, and Jake and Shannon
Jacobs, opened The Filling Station Coffeehouse on Nov. 13. The
partners have known each other for about three years, Sellers said,
but before they met they had dreamed independently of opening a
coffeehouse.
"We were looking for someplace that was kind of quaint," she
said, and the location in Aspen Properties' satellite office in
downtown Edinburg "just fell into our laps about a month ago."
The group, made up of a mechanic, a substitute teacher, a
"computer guy" and Sellers, who cleans houses part-time, did no real
research before opening, though "Shannon did go to Dunkin' Donuts,"
Sellers said, laughing. So far, they're playing it by ear, she said.
"We're just totally walking out on faith," she said, and are
learning some things by trial and error. "I now know I need bigger
counters. We just kind of walked into the building and decided, 'We
need this, this, this and this.'"
Sellers said learning to make espresso and other drinks has
been an "interesting" process.
"Shannon is my guinea pig," she said, smiling. "As I make
them, she tastes them." She said she is on a list to attend a coffee
school to learn how to make "that fancy-schmancy stuff."
The shop has been warmly received by the community and other
downtown businesses, she said, though some people "looked at us like
we were crazy" when they learned The Filling Station would be open
until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. On those nights, the
coffeehouse will have live music, and an open mic time between 7 and
9 p.m., she said.
"We have to keep it acoustic, because we do have people who
live upstairs," she said. Anyone of any age is welcome to perform,
she said, but profanity is not allowed.
The menu now includes coffee, cappuccino and espresso, as
well as hot tea, hot chocolate, soft drinks and a host of pastries
and snacks, but Sellers said they hope to add a light lunch to the
menu soon. The group also took a trip this week to a coffee roaster
in Luray to choose some flavored coffees for the menu, she said.
"We eventually would like to put an ice cream parlor in here,
too," she said. "That's our goal before summer."
Since its opening, The Filling Station has had a steady
stream of customers, according to Sellers, who mans the counter
during business hours. She said she gives away one thing every day,
because "whatever you give you get back."
"It's been very nice," she said. Sellers said she's "been
really blessed," because it hasn't been so busy that she's been
unable to spend time talking with customers.
"They just feel comfortable, and that's what we want," she
said. "We just want an environment that's non-denominational, a
place where people can come in and speak what they want to speak and
love God."
The Filling Station is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with
open mic time starting at 7 p.m.
* Contact Elizabeth Wilkerson at ewilkerson@nvdaily.com
