Coffee Shop to Open This Spring on The Hill

The former Something Special retail business on the Hill is under construction and will be morphing into Morning Glory, serving coffee, pastries and other small menu items. 

Executive Chef and General Manager Andre Neimanis said the coffee shop will open in late March or early April. Construction workers can be seen working there daily. 

During Saturday's Winterfest on The Hill, Pastry Chef Amy Gallagher, Neimanis and coffee supplier Howard Davis, of Coffee Express in Plymouth, gave specialty coffee drinks, hot cocoa, straight-up coffee and cookies away to attendees. 

The spread included peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies as well as chocolate biscotti, all made by Gallagher. She is anxious for the shop to open and hopes it becomes the go to spot for Grosse Pointers for specialty pastries. 

Gallagher has been in the baking business for about 10 years and worked previously for Whole Foods specializing in organic and natural baking, she said.

A sample menu handed out to Winterfest attendees shows the coffee shop will be a bit more, serving breakfast from 6 to 11 a.m. daily, soups, salads, paninies and flat breads. The most expensive menu item is a Sesame Ginger Vegetable Salad with a chicken breast at $9.

One stand out for the future coffee shop is its liquor license, Neimanis said. Morning Glory will offer liquor drinks to customers, such as Spanish Coffee, and will offer glasses of wine, he said.

Among the pastries, the menu boasts breads, torts, wedding cakes, pies and more. Additionally, after it's up and running, Neimanis said the hope is to do deliveries within the Pointes. At first, he said, they want to become a supplier to other businesses in the area and then they would like to offer home service. Eventually, he said, the store could do holiday or home parties. 

The face of the building has changed in the last several months. Most noticable is the facade of the building has been removed and a door to enter the future coffee shop is several steps from the sidewalk. This area will be transformed into an outdoor seating area for customers featuring a fireplace and heating in the winter, Neimanis said. 

Many Winterfest attendees anxiously asked questions about its debut in the Farms and were eager to test their goodies. 

Morning Glory is a project by Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe owner, Gretchen Valade.