Written by Susie St.Clair
I recently had the pleasure of stopping in to visit a new coffee shop in the corner of a small shopping center in Chadds Ford. But I couldn’t have been more surprised to find that Chadds Ford Coffee House had a large interior space, as well as wonderful employees and founders.
If you’ve driven on Baltimore Pike in the Chadds Ford area, there’s a chance you have passed by the quaint Chadds Ford Coffee House, a lovely local coffee shop run by owners, Steve and Jackie, and their employees, Hailey Bell and Riona Donohue. Upon entering the shop, all I could do was marvel at the beautiful wood floors and white countertops of the establishment, mesmerized by how well-decorated the space was. As I walked in, I was warmly greeted by one of the founders, Steve, I met Riona and learned that Steve makes all of the coffee himself, providing a wide variety of coffee options to choose from. Steve informed me that Hailey, the first employee of the shop, was on her way, and I was free to pick a seat wherever I liked, so I went to sit.
Hailey greeted me with a warm smile when she arrived. As we sat down, Hailey began to tell me about her experience with the cafe saying, “The founders are very nice, and it’s been very fun to have fellow employees who I’m friends with, which always makes it fun.” Hailey had also told me about how she “doesn’t do any extracurriculars, which gives me more time to work on weekends.” I admire her dedication to her job, especially since she was the first employee of Chadds Ford Coffee House.
So, how did this lovely little cafe come to be? Hailey shared, “Steve had originally been in the medical field, but eventually began to pursue his dream of owning a coffee shop.” I couldn’t help but be in awe of this, as a dream turned into reality is a truly beautiful story. Hailey had also told me about how she came to get a job there. Her father had contacted Steve while he had been building the shop, requesting that he consider interviewing her to be an employee for the small local coffee shop, and he did.
During my visit to the Chadds Ford Coffee House, I enjoyed a delicious iced coffee with oatmilk and vanilla while watching as customers, and adorable children alike, enjoyed their visit to the new business, while simultaneously having an enriching conversation with friendly rising sophomore, Hailey Bell.
