I've got proof...

...that people really do appreciate good coffee. Maybe they can't afford to buy the good stuff everyday-but I'm pretty sure they know the difference. I'll tell you why:

Uptown's first generation coffee brewer is on permanent loan at the new Howell DDA/Main Street office around the corner at 122 State St. We upgraded to a better, higher-volume brewer at Uptown, so the old one was just gathering dust and I figured why not have good "office coffee?"

One of my goals upon taking the job as Howell Main Street/DDA Director was to increase volunteerism, community participation, and attendance at committee meetings. I joked with many committee members after moving in to the new office in December about what "great" coffee will have on tap here for meetings. I didn't realize how much that meant to them until a committee member showed up for a 2:30 p.m. meeting asking for a cup of coffee! I thought she was joking, but soon realized the seriousness of the situation when she showed genuine disappointment that a fresh pot was not steaming ready. Another office worker in a nearby law office randomly poked her head in asking for a warm up of her morning coffee from home!!

I usually brew some coffee for early morning meetings at our State St. office. These meetings, I have discovered, are surprisingly well-attended. This, my friends, has become my primary strategy for increasing participation in Howell Main Street! This also proves that people, more and more, are seeking good coffee!