A Cup of Kindness
The Coffee Cup Cafe is brewing something excellent
Gentle conversation permeates the air, along with the aroma of bacon, eggs…and of course, coffee, the cafe’s namesake that seems to go well with just about everything on the menu.
The Coffee Cup Cafe doesn’t specialize in breakfast, but it certainly provides some of the best in Valley City… as its owners, Terry and Vicky Jones, have been doing for years in the City of Bridges.
“There’s been some ups and downs, but nothing we couldn’t work through and continue to work through,” Terry Jones told the Times-Record. “We just needed to downsize. It’s more convenient for Vicky, so … we moved across the street.”
Vicky’s Viking Room had been long a hub of breakfast activity and social gathering for Valley City’s downtown, but with the iconic storefront formerly known as Dutton’s Parlor coming available, the Joneses took the opportunity to move to the new location, bringing with them much the same excellent menu as before, with an eye to introduce new items and more as they settle in.
“We’re going to do some changes, some things will be named differently,” Jones said. “The owner of this building is talking about putting a new kitchen in the back for Vicky, which is fantastic.”
While there’s less space than before, the location will free up the Jones to do more than simply tweak the menu – they’re hoping to expand hours and provide Valley City’s downtown a muchneeded place for supper service as well.
“We plan on opening up some nights and doing steak and shrimp – if we can get to that point,” Jones said. “Some of Vicky’s specials, like her lasagnas and meatballs, what she does best. The thing of it is, downtown, is we’ve tried it many times … people wanted it and nobody just showed up. So we gotta figure out a way to get them down here. (but) the Parade of Lights is coming up so we’ll probably do something for that. I don’t know just yet but we’re still thinking about it and plan
ning.”
It’s been a challenging time for restaurants of all shapes and sizes, but a blessing the Joneses have had throughout this journey has been the reliable assistance of a dedicated staff.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without my staff, I probably got the best staff there is,” Jones said. “Aivan and Sal and Blake – I’ve got to thank every one of them, they’ve really helped us out. There’s nobody like Aivan and we have her, nobody (else) can have her.”
What’s kept the crew together and spirits high has been an attitude of mutual respect, Jones said.
“You got to respect one another. We try to work with everybody as best as we can,” he said. “We employ a lot of the college kids, and we depend on them. Thank God for the college, because there’s not a lot of people who want to come into this type of work. A big hats-off to them. Through the years we’ve had many college kids…they’re all wonderful kids. I can’t stress enough how important it is to treat people with respect…and you’ll get respect.”
The Coffee Cup Cafe is located at the former Dutton’s location on 256 Central Avenue in downtown Valley City. Their hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday - Sunday.
“Come and see us, we’ll do the best we can for you, as always,” Jones said.