Andrea Griffith knows coffee. Growing up in a military family, Griffith spent most of her childhood in France. There she acquired a taste for premium espresso beans and artistic barista creations. Moving to the United States, she was disappointed in the quality of coffee Americans drink every day.  After moving to Springfield she found a small coffee stand outside of Jerry’s Home Improvement Center, called Hardware Café, which served quality coffee. Griffith and the owner quickly became friends with the frequent trips she began making to get her fix of coffee.

She had always been a good listener throughout her life and enjoyed listening to the stories of every person she talked to. “I’m a listener because I think people are very interesti

ng; we are very interesting creatures. Everybody has a story, and I think people’s stories are interesting.” Before moving the United States she was a drug and alcohol therapist for the United States military in Germany. As a therapist, Andrea could offer her patients a safe environment to talk about their lives without judgment. She held various desk jobs, but she discovered that her purpose in life was to listen to the people who opened up to her.

Shortly becoming friends with the owner of the stand, they decided to sell Hardware Café and approached Griffith about taking over the business. She knew the coffee stand was not a substantial source of income, but she knew she couldn’t possibly lose the only place with the coffee she liked. Griffith decided to take over the business.

In the past ten years Griffith has kept Hardware Café for more than just the coffee. She has created a community with her small business and has made connections with her loyal customers. Griffith knows their drink orders, what days of the week they show up and what times of the day they come. When they don’t show up Griffith will become worried. She will also open the stand for a couple of hours on holidays because she knows some of her older customers seldom get out of their houses and when they do, they go to Hardware Café.

Griffith knows her business. She knows it is more than just coffee her customers come back for. Two-minute relationships are what drive Griffith to keep her business open today. Hardware Café has become a meaningful part of Griffith’s life and her customers’ lives.