Monk’s Coffee Shop is expanding its service to a second location off of Ambler Ave.
The business will open up shop on 1333th St. on Ambler Ave., close to Hardin Simmons University and Hendricks Hospital.
Jerry Hendrix, owner of Monk’s, said he was contacted with the opportunity.
“We’ve always had our eyes open for the right opportunity, and some of those just haven’t worked out,” Hendrix said. “This was a case where the people who currently have the lease approached us.”
Hendrix said Monk’s plans on partnering with Books2U, the company currently leasing the building, to help promote both businesses.
The building itself is located next to Paul’s Barber Shop and is smaller than the original Monk’s. Hendrix said this new area, about 600 square feet, might keep customers from lounging around for extended amounts of time, as they do now.
There is no set opening date but Hendrix said they have already passed their first inspection.
“Once we get one or two more pieces of equipment it’ll move pretty fast, because we feel like it’s code-ready,” Hendrix said.
The menu at the additional location will remain relatively the same, Hendrix said, but he hopes to begin experimenting with breakfast options.
The additional site will also sell the popular Monk’s t-shirts and advocate a fun atmosphere. Current Monk’s employees will be transferring hours to work at both the original and additional location.
Hendrix said a big addition to the location is the moving of a bible study that currently meets at the original Monk’s each Sunday. He said having small groups meet on the other side of town is intended to be easier for the commuters.
The main room in the new space will be used for such bible studies.
Jessalyn Massingill, barista at Monk’s, helped to design the main room of the additional location.
“I came up with a couple things and what we came up with is almost like a hipster-academia,” Massingill said. “We eventually settled with the idea or maps and books, because it’s right across the street from Hardin Simmons and because it was a bookstore, it seemed natural to go that way.”
Hendrix said he hopes to do special events there, such as Music-on-the-Patio, assuming the store gets along with the surrounding businesses.
When asked about the new site possibly taking away from the downtown Monk’s location, Hendrix said, “There’s added value to a business when you have a second site. It creates a usually beneficial opportunity, and so that’s what we’re really looking for. It expands the brand and creates more space for growth here, while having growth there.”
