Owners break from popular Daily Grind franchise
Change to Old Dominion and Cool Beanz allows owners to try new things with shop
Posted on August 30, 2007
Frequent patrons of the Old Dominion Coffee Company & Café (formerly called ‘The Daily Grind’) will agree that its atmosphere is unique. Located at Court Square on North Main Street, this cozy little shop is locally owned and operated by Victoria and Jerry Lawrence.
Since the owners’ decision to break away from the Daily Grind franchise, the three Harrisonburg locations have adopted new names. In addition to the Old Dominion shop downtown, the shops located in the Valley Mall and on East Market Street, are now named “Cool Beanz”.
The decision to break with the franchise was fueled by a desire to try new things, according to co-owner Victoria Lawrence.
“We wanted an opportunity to change it up a little bit, to do more; to get my coffee from different sources, Lawrence said.
The shop will also extend its menus to include more new dishes and sandwiches, as well as hand-made fresh gelato. The new menu encompasses everything from sandwiches, wraps and paninis to gelato and, of course, a wide variety of coffee drinks. Add to that free wireless web access and live music a few nights a week, it’s no wonder the shop is thriving without help from the franchise.
“Being independent, I can take suggestions,” Lawrence said. “I was thinking of having a game night… so people can relax.”
The shop will also host live music, including a local band called “Snap Crack & Pop” that plays Celtic music there most Monday nights.
JMU employee Will Brown believes in the idea of supporting local businesses over the national chains.
“I’m all for it,” Brown said. “The local product is just as good as, if not better than, the corporate stuff. I think it’s good to support the local economy.”
Although the franchise is gone, the quality isn’t.
“We are the same people,” says Lawrence. “We can just do more now.”