Patrons who despaired about the closing of the Plymouth-Green Crossings Sweetwaters nearly a year ago got a happy ending this November, when the location reopened with a brand-new look and new owners: mother-and-daughter team Q Hogue and Kristen Jackson.
“I grew up here,” says Jackson. As a U-M student, “I used to study in the coffee shop.” She also has experience in the culinary world–she helped start San Street, the precursor to Zingerman’s Miss Kim–and met Sweetwaters founders Wei and Lisa Bee in a soccer league. When they mentioned they were looking for new franchisees at the once-buzzing location, Jackson jumped at the chance.
She and Hogue spent the summer renovating, replacing the floors and countertops, painting, and refacing the fireplace. The coffee shop’s dedicated followers soon took notice: “Even when we were doing construction,” says Jackson, “we had someone coming in almost every half hour asking if we were open.”
The cafe serves Sweetwaters’ standards–pastries, hot and cold teas, and coffees–but it’s also got a selection of sandwiches and salads made specially for it by Packard carryout restaurant Eat.
Backed by local “meta-franchiser” Franworth, Sweetwaters is in the midst of a national rollout, with more than 100 franchises signed across the country. Despite the brand’s growth, Jackson and Hogue are determined to maintain and expand on the cafe’s community feeling. They’re working on bringing local artists’ work and live music to the space, and have added a large communal table by the door. “We’re trying to make this a community center as well as a coffee shop,” Jackson says.
Sweetwaters, 3393 Plymouth (Plymouth-Green Crossings). (734) 369-4568. Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 7 a.m.-11 p.m. sweetwaterscafe.com