Fun Fact: Did you know that the coffee bean is found at the pit of the cherry plant?
As a journalism major here at TCU, I get to meet many interesting people and share their inspiring stories with the wonderful community around me. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Katherine Morris, the owner of Cherry Coffee Shop in Fort Worth, Texas. After spending a few hours at the shop talking to Katherine and hearing the story of how Cherry came to be, I completely fell in love with the cozy, community-oriented coffee shop.
How Cherry Came To Be
Katherine came to Fort Worth to attend TCU and has been living here for 20 years. She graduated in ‘07 with a degree in finance and accounting. Katherine started her career off by working in operations for a coffee company called Craft Work Coffee. She was hired part time as a replacement for the operations manager, who was out for maternity leave. Katherine eventually worked her way up to director of operations and stayed with the company for three years. After the pandemic hit, Craft Work decided it was best to sell some of their locations, and Katherine ended up buying the location in Fort Worth’s south side area. She considers herself “hyperlocal,” which is why she picked this specific location. It is only 10 minutes from downtown Fort Worth, it is near many other local businesses, and it is within walking distance to neighborhoods. In April of 2021, Cherry Coffee Shop was created.
Why “Cherry”?
One of the first questions I asked Katherine was about the significance of the name “Cherry.” Katherine then told me her fun fact: the coffee bean is actually the pit of the cherry plant. The name is one of Katherine’s favorite things about her unique shop. As soon as she began the process of opening and branding her business, she reached out to one of her good friends who also owns a local business and asked for his creative expertise. She wrote down a list of 10 different coffee terms. Her whole idea was to pick a name that was short, simple, easy to say and spell, and still related to coffee. Now, the spunky name Cherry catches the eye of all who walk past the storefront.
The Vibes
Katherine introduced me to the interior designer of the shop, who still swings by every week to grab a cup of coffee and knock out some work. The layout of the shop is, without a doubt, one of the things that makes Cherry stand out as different and unique. The shop is divided into two sides: a social side and a quiet side. On the social side, you see groups, large and small, meeting to chat, and business people taking phone calls or meeting with clients. On the quiet side, you might find many TCU students studying, along with people who have just come to cozy up with a good book. When I asked Katherine what her vision was for Cherry, she said, “I wanted Cherry to feel like a hug, right as you walk in the front door.” With its big comfy chairs covered in throw pillows, patterned rugs, bookshelves lined with books, and soft lighting, Cherry Coffee Shop definitely gives you the feeling of being at home.
The Cherry community
While chatting with one of the baristas, I asked her to briefly describe Cherry. She told me that between the regulars that she has come to know, and the staff that feels like a family, “Cherry in itself is a community.” After my visit to Cherry, it was very easy to see how much Katherine values the community and the impact it has on the shop.
- Katherine walked with me to a few of her favorite neighboring small businesses. She said that a good majority of them are women owned, and she has become good friends with each of them. Sometimes Katherine and the other business owners even do collaborations with their products.
- As previously mentioned, it is quite easy to see that the staff at Cherry are more than just coworkers, they are a family. One of Katherine’s main priorities is making sure her staff is happy. Once in a while, the shop will be closed for the day, to allow the staff to have wellness/ rest days. The shop also closes on days when company retreats take place. On these special days, Katherine and the crew get to hangout with each other and form an even stronger bond with one another.
- Personally, my favorite part of Cherry Coffee Shop is the art pieces that are hung on each of the walls. Every piece is made by local artists, each of which Katherine knows personally. One of the pieces was designed by a fiber artist that made the piece specifically for Cherry. The fibers that are woven together have varying hues of brown. These fibers were dyed with Cherry’s Coffee, which I thought was very interesting.
I highly encourage everyone to go visit Cherry Coffee Shop, to try their delicious coffee, admire their beautiful decor, meet some of the kindest people, and to of course say hello to the wonderful owner Katherine. Similar to how the coffee bean is at the heart of the cherry; Cherry Coffee Shop is the heart of the Community.