Occupation: Owner of Sip Easy Coffee Bar
Are you from Marion? Yes, I’ve lived in Marion most of my life. My family moved here in 1996 when my dad was transferred here with his job at Whirlpool. I spent my young childhood years growing up in Mississippi.
What started your business venture? From a young age, I’ve always wanted to own my own business. Life finally presented the opportunity in the last few years to move forward.
What is your favorite thing about downtown Marion? I love looking out our front window and seeing people explore downtown, especially out-of-town visitors! Especially when they come into Sip Easy and share their stories with us.
What is your favorite downtown place to eat or drink? I love all the variety- it’s hard to pick just one! Taco Central has great flavors, Attaboys is great for comfort food, and Mike’s has the best sandwiches around!
What is your favorite downtown place shop? Maddie’s on Main for clothes and Foxglove Hollow for home goods and gifts! Maddie’s always has the most current trends for every season and Foxglove bougie vibe is right in line with my style.
What’s a behind the Trade secret? The quality of coffee bean makes all the difference in the world for a good cup of coffee. We use Ohio-roasted coffee from Purebred Coffee Co. in Troy, OH that qualifies as specialty coffee on the coffee value assessment scale from the Specialty Coffee Association!
Now through 8/31 we are offering 20% off our meeting room rentals! Book your next meeting at Connect and receive the discount by using the code: MeetNow
We’re here for your quarterly meetings, brainstorming and collaboration sessions, presentations, and all the big moments in between. Be in a space that inspires, invigorates….and has free coffee. We’re here for you. Set your team up for success using the link below.
When we began revitalizing downtown Marion in 2018 with Main Street Reimagined, I had no idea what the project would evolve into. I had no idea how difficult it would be, how much it would cost financially, mentally, and emotionally. I had no idea the joy it would create when I got to see locals and visitors change their perceptions about the present and future of Marion, Ohio.
However, I did have a sense, a hunch, that there were latent entrepreneurs out on the sidelines. I believed that there were people with dreams of businesses…boutiques, restaurants, shops, gathering places, that they wanted to create but needed the place, the spark, the opportunity to bring them to life. I just knew that if I could connect with those people, we could make downtown Marion a pretty special place.
I think back to the first time that Kim Bradshaw shared her dream with me about opening a coffee shop. The twinkle in her eye was one I had seen in a couple of conversations before. But the time wasn’t right, so we kept in touch. She told me she needed 2 more years. So I set a reminder 2 years down the road to reach out to her, and I did. She was still dreaming and scheming, and although it took several more months to fully crystallize the dream into a workable concept, nearly a year ago, Sip Easy was born!
If you haven’t visited Kim (and her husband Daniel, and two girls, who also help with the family business), be sure to stop by soon! Grab a coffee and do some exploring around the downtown. It’s changing for the better every day!
Better Together,
Luke Henry Col 3:23
