A second Monks Coffee Shop will open relatively soon, aiming to cater more of a collegiate crowd.
The new location shares a store space with Books 2U and is at 1333 Ambler Ave., across the street from Hardin Simmons University.
Jerry Hendrix, owner of Monks and several other businesses in Abilene, said he’s excited about the new store’s location because it brings the business closer to the collegiate community.
“We love university students, and we’re excited to extend our reach a bit,” Hendrix said. “We’re just going to continue to see what we can do to have fun.”
Sawyer Teague, sophomore information systems major from Double Oak, is especially looking forward to the new location’s closer proximity to campus.
“It’s really great to have a coffee shop closer to campus,” he said. “Now there’s another place to relax and recharge.”
Hendrix also feels the location is strategic given its proximity to Hendrick Medical Center, one of Abilene’s largest centers of employment. The combined traffic of workers and students on the move should make the new Monks location, in Hendrix’s words, more of a “grab-and-go” shop.
With the collegiate market in mind, Hendrix said he has many creative ideas for the new location, such as catered game-day events and music on the patio.
Monks has been a cultural staple in Abilene since it opened in 2006, from its famous “Keep Abilene Boring” t-shirts to its unique social atmosphere. Monks also hosts an open-mic session every Thursday night, attracting acts such as Aaron Gillespie and the Civil Wars.
“My first infatuation was downtown,” Hendrix said. “I grew up in a small town and so I liked that. Because we’ve attracted the collegiate community, it just made sense to be closer to students.”
While the new location is open for business, Hendrix still needs more workers to fill shifts. Since many upperclassmen and graduate students who worked at the shop last year have graduated and left Abilene, Hendrix said he’s looking for new hires. For more information or to apply, e-mail monksabilene@gmail.com.
