GATHERING HEART AND SOUL

Starfish and Coffee shop offers refreshments and whimsical wares

Bethany Homrighaus carefully placed the handmade earrings on their stand as she stepped back admiring the sparkling beauty of the display and breathing in the calming aroma of the essential oils that filled the air of her small, quiet shop.

She and her husband, Austin, have been preparing the historic downtown Painesville’s coffee shop boutique Starfish and Coffee for its long-awaited reopening on Jan 28 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

“We have some new menu items, like apple cinnamon tisane tea, from Old Familiar Ways in Fairport Harbor,” she said. “I created new displays that my regular customers won’t recognize.”

For now, Starfish and Coffee will be opened Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. with no seating.

“Most people come here to hang out with friends, but with social distancing, it takes away the heart and soul of my business,” she said

Homrighaus wants to open as slowly as possible in phases by allowing limited foot traffic placing to-go orders and shopping in the boutique. When the weather breaks in late spring, she plans to offer outdoor seating.

“A lot of my business is what I’d want as a customer. Starfish and Coffee is all about being a place where we can be human together.” —Bethany Homrighaus, co-owner of Starfish and Coffee

“I won’t make more decisions about reopening fully until we know more about the vaccines,” she said. “Then we can return to it’s former glory.”

Customers can also call ahead to place a curbside order. Homrighaus said she’d be happy to run an order out to a customer’s car if they would rather stay socially distanced. They can call ahead and let her know they are waiting outside.

“A lot of my business is what I’d want as a customer,” she said. “Starfish and Coffee is all about being a place where we can be human together.”

Homrighaus found out she had an autoimmune disease when she was 25 years old. In a Facebook letter to her customers in June, she explained that “working with the public in a time of a global pandemic is risky for my immune system.”

After months of staying at home and doing all she can to stay healthy, she knew it was time to slowly open her doors again.

“It’s time to rip off the bandage,” she said. “It’s time to reengage with the community.”

Recognizing the importance of economic vitality in Painesville and the residents’ appreciation for the arts, Homrighaus is excited to be a part of the Painesville Farm and Flea, normally hosting two dates each summer, will now have five dates spanning the second Sundays each month from May through September.

CRYSTAL BEAULIEU — THE NEWS-HERALD Starfish and Coffee owner Bethany Homrighaus understands the importance of carefully placed items for display in her boutique coffee shop.

CRYSTAL BEAULIEU — THE NEWS-HERALD Starfish and Coffee owner Bethany Homrighaus sells handmade greeting cards made from pictures taken on vacations with her husband Austin Homrighaus.

CRYSTAL BEAULIEU — THE NEWS-HERALD Local, artisan-made, paper flower arrangements for sale can be seen by passers-by in the picture window of Starfish and Coffee.