Sarah Crossgrove was advised against placing a coffee shop in the middle of Moravia.

“My close friends were saying it's not going to work,” she said.

But two years after the birth of Coffee 'N Cream, the shop is doing strong business. With a menu comprised of not only coffee but ice cream, sandwiches, wraps, salads and more, the shop has steadily built a loyal base of customers in a village still somewhat unaccustomed to its presence.

“I still get people coming in to say they can't believe a place like this is here, but I wouldn't want it to be anywhere else,” Crossgrove said.

In addition to the food she serves, Crossgrove has endeavored to establish a culture at Coffee 'N Cream inviting to all community members, whether they take sugar, cream or no caffeine at all. Work by local painters and sketch artists can be seen around the sitting area. Some are offered to Crossgrove and others she collects when she spies a work she would like for her shop's walls.

The shop also regularly hosts catered events on its second floor for groups like the Moravia Rotary Club and reuniting high school classes. Crossgrove even catered a 200-person wedding party.

Scrapbooking sessions have proven popular at Coffee 'N Cream. Crossgrove was approached by Moravia resident Sue Rose about making a monthly activity out of it at the coffee shop.

“She's always looking for new ideas,” Rose said. “It's a win-win for both of us; she gives me the space, and I bring her the customers.”

Crossgrove saw the opening for a coffee shop more than two and a half years ago, when she was searching for a business she could begin in her hometown. Although she believed a coffee shop would meet an unanswered demand in Moravia, she doubted her ability to be successful on just java.

“I knew we wouldn't be able to make ends meet just selling coffee, and I saw that there were only two pizza places in town to sit down and eat,” Crossgrove said.

Once she knew she wanted to begin a coffee shop with a substantial food menu, Crossgrove merely needed somewhere to house it. She found the ideal site when the space at 165 Main St. became available. As a historic building in the village of Moravia, it carried a familiarity for future customers.

“It used to be a feed store, a general store and a supply store,” Crossgrove said. “People come in to share their memories of the live lobster tank that used to be here.”

The building had recently been renovated, which left Crossgrove with little fixing up to complete in February 2006 when she moved in.

Amassing a menu, setting prices and finding suppliers were a little more challenging, but Crossgrove smoothed out any rough spots with a few test customer runs at the shop.

“The feedback was very helpful,” she said.

Now Crossgrove receives a more muted form of positive feedback in the scores of customers who regularly park themselves at a table inside Coffee ‘N Cream, such as Moravia resident Kristy Hill.

“I like it because we don't have a lot of little places here,” Hill said.

Fritz Hess brings his infant son, Will Hess, to the shop as the father enjoys hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies.

“It's a little comfort food,” Hess said.

Crossgrove finds the shop friendly to her own family as well.

“They love to come down and help when they can, they also love to come down and get ice cream,” she said.

During the summer season, her husband and two children are joined by area bicyclists and countless residents of Owasco Lake cottages and nearby Fillmore Glen who wander by the shop. The seasonal customers add to an already friendly vibe Crossgrove finds in the village.

“I love this town, people look out for each other and are very supportive,” Crossgrove said.

Visitors outside Moravia can discover Coffee ‘N Cream through the shop's Web site, which was built by a friend of Crossgrove's who works in design. Having him at her disposal was the type of serendipity that helped her start Coffee ‘N Cream with such success.

“Everything came together and this is what happened,” Crossgrove said. “You reach a point where you got to stop looking and you just have to try.”

Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net