The Yellow Mug will open in the former Green House Coffee space
Valley Mobley was 17 years old when he first visited a coffee shop near his home in North Carolina. She instantly felt at home, she said. “I hadn’t realized there were places like this, where you could be at peace by yourself or connect with other people.” She knew right away that she wanted to own such a place one day. She took jobs at coffee shops to learn the business and always enjoyed her work.
Years passed, and after moving to the area two years ago, he applied for a job at Green House Coffee. Everything about the experience confirmed that she was on the right track. “Camille (former owner Camille Phillips) and I talked about it over and over again,” Mobley said. “She was considering a change, especially after the pandemic.” Early last spring, the time seemed right, and the women struck a deal. She credits members of her extended family, many of whom have lived in the area for years, for helping with the cleaning, painting and landscaping necessary to make the transition.
The lessons Mobley learned from Phillips were invaluable, he said: create a welcoming space, serve the community with kindness and flexibility, offer quality products. However, there will be changes, she said. The Yellow Mug will not offer breakfast or lunch but will have a wider selection of coffee drinks and a number of locally baked pastries. Albemarle Baking Company is on board to supply baked goods, as is Fox Hollow to provide gourmet cookies. He also expects Cou Cou Rachou to make muffins and other cakes. Your coffee will be roasted by the people of Coffee Corner, who are friends.
Mobley hopes the changes will make it easier to operate the business with limited staff. “I think it will also make the place feel calmer and less rushed,” he said. Since there is no catering, he will be able to invite people to stay for a while, have coffee and pastries while they study, work or visit friends. It will be open every day except Sunday, from 8 am to 3 pm Check Mobley’s Instagram (yellowmugcoffee) for the opening date.
Why “The Yellow Cup”? “My mom has a yellow cup that became the cup she drank from all the time,” she said. “I still do, when I visit.”
Julie Ellyn Designs opens October 22
In the space formerly used by Trey Wilkerson for his expanded Trey’s Restaurant, Julie Ter Borg will present a variety of fine jewelry and homemade gifts. Though she’s a newcomer to Crozet (she’s been here a year), Ter Borg is no stranger to either quality bead and precious metal craftsmanship or retail sales. Her beautifully designed and carefully crafted bracelets, necklaces and earrings were sold through her online store and her physical store in Bel Air, Maryland. Enthusiastic patrons of her include film and television stars, media curators of local “best gifts” guides, and fashionistas.
Ter Borg said he came from a long line of “creators,” though most of them also had other jobs. She trained as a scientist, but she was able to focus on her business full-time after the simplicity and beauty of her designs made her reasonably priced jewelry popular with the budget-conscious and among the celebrities.
Ter Borg thinks Crozet will benefit from more retail stores: “I want people to be able to pick up a birthday present, a beautiful bracelet or a housewarming present without leaving town,” he said. She will feature candles, soaps and children’s toys, as well as gifts made by local artisans.
She is one of several women entrepreneurs working to add color and life to the center of Crozet, while also providing an outlet for cottage industries. She also firmly believes in the power of small kindnesses, not just gifts, but also a sweet word, a welcoming gesture, or a well-timed compliment. “It’s the little things that count,” she said.
Artists gather for fall events
Two venerable fall festivals draw artists and art lovers to the area in early October. The Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival, now in its 43rd year, will bring 120 artists, fine artisans, food trucks, musicians and fans to Crozet Park on October 8 and 9, starting at 10 a.m. Tickets they are online at crozetfestival.com. Across the mountain in Waynesboro, the Virginia Fall Foliage Festival of the Arts features 150 artists and artisans. That festival has been drawing sizeable crowds for 51 years. Both are outdoors and start at 10 am on Saturday and continue through Sunday. There is no admission charge to the Waynesboro event.
Waynesboro’s “Apple Days,” scheduled for October 1-2, have been postponed due to inclement weather until October 15-16. That annual celebration, in its 47th year, features all kinds of crafts, as well as street vendors offering apple dumplings, rotisserie chicken, hot pot corn and candy. Some of the food offerings are for the benefit of local non-profit organizations.
Meanwhile, the exhibit at Crozet Artisan Depot features artist mother and son, with a meet the artist event on October 8 at 1 pm Alison and Chris Bachman are performing through October. Alison specializes in acrylics on canvas, capturing local landscapes and wildlife.
Chris creates ceramics using porcelain, stoneware, and slow-fired clays. He combines his passion for ceramics with another passion: many of his pots house his growing collection of bonsai.
bit of business
delly up is the name of Waynesboro’s newest restaurant, a downtown sandwich shop on the corner of Main and Wayne streets that is scheduled to open shortly. It’s the newest venture from Mandi Smack, whose opening of River City Burgers a few years ago followed her first local venture, Blue Mountain Brewery, both to great success.
October 9th, blue bird and company. features local author, Dr. Martin Katz. He will read from his new book, making you a magnificent, a playful nutrition lesson for young children. The event starts at 1, and there will be books available for signing. Various other authors will appear throughout the month, and you can also make a cloth pumpkin, start your novel, explore watercolors, get a spray tan, and practice yin yoga, among other events. Find out which ones and when they are at bluebird crozet.com.