When I heard that there was a new coffee shop opening in Crossville, I must say I was enthusiastic and eager to see just what this new business, GrinderHouse, would be like. I love coffee and had frequented coffee shops in other towns, so had high hopes that we would be getting something special.
And was I right! GrinderHouse Coffee, located at 73 North Main Street, in downtown Crossville, is a special place. Beautifully decorated with artwork on the walls, eclectic tables & chairs, comfortable couches and easy chairs, etc., make GrinderHouse a great place to meet a friend, grab a quick lunch, or enjoy a relaxing dinner.
Owners David and Staci Willier looked for just the right building for quite a while before finding the old building on Main, just a few steps south of Mitchell Drug Store. Many weekends and late nights were invested in the building of his business. “We didn’t want to be in a strip mall, we were looking for a historic area,” Willier said. “We liked the downtown and looked for a few months before finding our current location,” he said.
The building they found was the old Jenkins & Darwin Department Store. They spent quite a bit of time renovating the old building, breathing new life into it. David and his boys spent a lot of nights and weekends on their remodeling job. They were able to keep the original stamped metal ceilings but very little of anything else.
The shop opened for business on May 13th of 2016, and currently they have 16 employees, including a full-time chef, Ryan Serine, who has infused their menu with an amazing medly of unique entrees.
The Williers did quite a bit of traveling while researching ideas for their new venture. David spent a year on design, research and demographics. “We knew it would be a tough market because the last few coffee shops in the area have struggled,” David said. “We decided we’d need to add a kitchen.”
Before I start telling you about their expanded food menu, let me first give you a run-down on their speciality beverages. After all, this is a coffee shop.
Beverages
– Espresso & Espresso based drinks; Lattes, Cappuccinos, layered Mochas and Macchiatos, and of course, the Americano.
– Pour-overs, French Press, and Cold-Brew coffees.
– Carrying over 40 different premium fresh-roasted coffees.
– Teas: Black, Green, White, Oolong, Pu’er, Chai, & Herbals
– Individually-prepared cocoas, smoothies, hand-spun milkshakes as well as various juices, waters and sodas.
You will be surprised to see their expanded food menu. I know I was.
Flatbreads
Recently, when doing research for this story, I sampled some FlatBread dishes (think specialty bread pizza) at GrinderHouse. They offer a Thai Spice & Curry Chicken Flatbread, a Turkish Flatbread (with Sausage, Feta Cheese, Spinach, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Mozz & Parm Cheeses, Caramelized Onions, Katamala Olives, Spices and White sauce), and a Bacon Parmesan Chicken Flatbread.
Breakfast
—Their newly expanded breakfast menu includes: Sweet Creme-Stuffed French toast, Lemon Zested Strawberry Waffles, A huge breakfast Panini, Sausage Gravy and Scratch Biscuits, as well as Homestyle Muffins, Breads and dozens of Pastries.
Sandwiches
—Their Sandwich menu includes: the Tomato Pesto Fire-braised Chicken Sandwich; the GrinderHouse Pecan Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwich; and a 1/2 lb. BBQ Smokehouse Burger with Colby Jack and Grilled Onions, just to name a few.
Grab & Go Items
When you want something quick, try out their selection of ready to go Wraps (like Chipotle Turkey; Chicken Pesto; Savory Ham & Swiss; and Turkey Bacon Ranch.) As well as:
— Sweet Kale and GrinderHouse Salads
— Mint Infused Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits
— Veggie cups
— Fruit cups
— Pastries, Pies, Cakes, Cookies, Chocolates, and other Sweets.
Homemade Soups
— Tomato Bisque
— Homemade Cheddar Broccoli
— Grandpa’s Chili
— Soup of the Day
Needless to say, they all go perfectly with coffee!
Entertainment
Willier says his coffee house has hosted a number of local musicians (everything from classical to bluegrass, from pop rock to spoken word) and they are open to host anyone interested in presenting an appropriate musical set for an evening.
“We have events occurring throughout the month, everything from chess matches, lip-synch battles, to catered dinners and even speed dating! One of our primary goals is to bring people together, to encourage community, and to brighten the atmosphere in Crossville,” Willier said. “Give us a call, or send us a message through Facebook, or on our social media app FLOK (and when you download Flok for us, you’ll get a reward of a free beverage or dessert!”)
GrinderHouse Coffee is open to the public six days a week, Monday – Thursday, opening from 7 a.m. and closing at 9 p.m. They close at midnight on Fridays, and 10:30 pm on Saturdays. Sunday is open by reservation only. They’ve also started a limited breakfast delivery service in the downtown area. Call them at (931) 707-0440 to find out more!
