All in the family
Man uses Pilot Point Coffee House to relocate family
By Abigail Allen
Managing Editor
When Jimerson Adkins decided he wanted to help his family leave Midland and bring them to the Pilot Point area, he turned to the Chamber of Commerce for help.
He asked former Director Paula McCain what was needed on the Pilot Point Square, and she helped him run with the idea of opening up a cafe.
“I asked her about a coffee shop, and she said, ‘You know what, a coffee shop is perfect because there’s a space on the Square that’s built out for a coffee shop,’” Adkins said.
He had moved to town from Midland in 2018 and was a part of the Chamber with his website design and marketing company Dog Gone Marketing.
“I needed to pick a place, it was just green, and the lake was a big draw, and I was just driving around all over North Texas, and I passed through Pilot Point,” Adkins said. “I crossed the dam from Sanger and passed through Pilot Point, and I just fell in love with the place.”
From 2019 until Aug. 1, Adkins was doing market research to find out what people in the area wanted in a new coffee shop, as well as getting the building on Main Street prepared.
“I did most of the building out and set up myself in preparation for [my family] to move,” Adkins said.
Since opening on Aug. 1, the coffee house has seen more success than Adkins anticipated.
“We expected it to be very slow because of COVID, but it’s been nice and steady,” he said. “We’ve been slowly building a regular customer base, and we’re doing a little better than breaking even, which is better than I expected for the first year.”
The young business has capitalized on the events put on by the city, including the farmers markets during the summer and Christmas on the Square last month.
Adkins’ brother, Hayden Walker, said the community feel has been a big part of what he has enjoyed the most about working at the coffee house.
“It’s really nice that everybody does things for each other, like coat drives and things like that,” Walker said.
And for Adkins, building up the community and helping to grow that feeling has been a crucial part of the business model.
Adkins’ mother, Claudia Smith, and his sister, Maryanne Campbell, also work at the coffee shop.
“We’ve been trying to get them to move up here for a while, but lack of job just kind of makes that kind of hard,” Adkins said. “So, it all sort of worked together where we opened the coffee shop at the exact time that they could move here and run the coffee shop.”
The family has been trying to promote a community feel through small events, including karaoke and some small musical performances.
“Our mission for the coffee shop is to bring the community together, and really the only way we can do that is through events, which kind of doesn’t make sense for COVID,” Adkins said. “We plan on expanding that after COVID is more under control, but in the meantime, we’re doing it in a safe way by having little performances and karaoke nights where we’re social distanced and safe.”
The shop also just started showcasing local artists’ work as well, curated by Pilot Point artist Justine Wollaston.
“It just gives local artists a chance to both present and sell their work,” Adkins said.
Adkins also found a way to source the coffee they serve from a local coffee roaster.
Looking to the future, Adkins hopes to see a chance to grow his business.
“I’d like to develop the back part of the shop, the outside, and get kind of an outside space going with barbecue, food, different events like that, maybe live music out there,” Adkins said.
He plans to integrate more events inside as well.
He also looks at the growing interest in buildings around the Pilot Point Square with excitement.
“The more businesses we have on the Square, the more it benefits all the pre-existing businesses on the Square,” he said. “I think if my business can draw in folks to come onto the Square that may not have previously, they’re going to see other businesses on the Square and potentially give them business. It’s mutually beneficial.”
