“It’s great seeing seven or eight of them all sitting around, knitting and chatting,” Ebersold said. A special group of women and men have held their knitting circle at Black Sheep for a year. You will often see a book club gathering, a business lunch meeting or a group of moms chatting. Over the years, Black Sheep Coffee has acquired a band of loyal patrons. I’ll ask one or two questions about availability, but aside from that, I just try to get to know them.” “I try to conduct employee interviews in the form of a conversation,” Ebersold said. His ideal candidate is friendly, personable and easygoing. To guarantee an interactive customer setting, Ebersold goes out of his way to hire friendly employees. In 2018, Starbucks revealed that over 80% of its new locations feature drive-thru options.Ī 2019 Starbucks press release states that, “Streamlining the experience is convenient for customers.”īut for Ebersold, streamlining the experience is undesirable. Differentiating Black Sheep Coffee from Harrisonburg’s drive-thru Starbucks was part of Ebersold’s inspiration for the shop. To create a family feel, he furnished the shop with comfy couches and vintage arcade games.īy encouraging a community among guests, Ebersold provides low-key socialization that industry giants cannot emulate. He also designed the interior to enhance the shop’s aesthetic and give it a community feel.Īside from building the tables, Ebersold opted for an open floor plan to encourage face-to-face interactions between customers. “My goal with Black Sheep Coffee was to bring the people of Harrisonburg together.”Įbersold brought the appeal of Mudhouse to Harrisonburg by implementing live music and by creating a homemade menu, a recipe that had worked before in the city beyond Afton mountain. The closest thing we had was a drive-thru Starbucks,” Ebersold said. “When I moved to Harrisonburg, there wasn’t anything like Mudhouse. Mudhouse had made him feel included in the community despite his then recent arrival in Virginia and a lack of friends. When seeking inspiration for Black Sheep Coffee, Ebersold recalled his experiences in Charlottesville. A bar was out of the question but a coffee shop was not. He wanted to open a place where his kids would feel welcome. They now have two children: a son Graham and a daughter Poppy.Įbersold’s dreams shifted after the birth of his children. They ended up dating for several years, eventually getting married in 2012. His plans, as vague as they were, came into focus when Miranda entered the picture.Įbersold met his wife Miranda while opening a restaurant in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Ebersold eventually settled on a career in food services but did not have a clear vision of what he wanted to do, oscillating between a bar and a restaurant. He stayed in Harrisonburg for a few years and picked up jobs at local restaurants. He graduated in 2002 with a major in integrated science and technology but upon graduation, Ebersold struggled to choose a line of work that would hold his interest for life. The shop’s live music and homemade treats contributed to its popularity.Īfter graduating from high school spring 1998, Ebersold attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in the fall. However, he still valued the Mudhouse community and admired the cafe’s charming aesthetic. The sport of lacrosse helped Ebersold create a place for himself in high school. “Between working at Mudhouse and playing on the lacrosse team, I learned the values of teamwork and inclusivity,” Ebersold said. Luckily, he made friends after joining the school’s lacrosse team. Having moved from Brunswick, Maine, in his teens, he entered high school in Charlottesville with few acquaintances. New to Charlottesville at the time, Ebersold found great comfort in Mudhouse’s environment. He admired the shop’s warm sense of community and welcoming atmosphere. During his breaks, Ebersold watched customers from afar. “I was lucky to have such genuine people in my life.”īack in high school, Ebersold worked at Mudhouse for two years, starting as a dishwasher and ending as a night manager. “Everyone at Mudhouse was friendly and warm,” Ebersold said. Ebersold’s inspiration for Black Sheep Coffee begins with Mudhouse Coffee Roasters, a coffee shop located in Charlottesville, Virginia. These tables are one example of how his character shines through Black Sheep Coffee. Making tables for his coffee shop was a project of passion for Ebersold. Using reclaimed wood from the furniture at his wedding reception, Ebersold builds his tables on a foundation of love. By Allison Geringer - Wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, Chance Ebersold finishes building his 10th table for Black Sheep Coffee shop.
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