New restaurant Coffee and Confections aims to perk up Jackson

Jackson finally has a place for freshly brewed coffee. Coffee and Confections, which opened this week, is right across from Main Street Bowling Lanes.

The owner, Melinda Wehrle, realized there was a gap in the market when she moved to Jackson two years ago. It took her more than a year, but eventually she had a place to call her own coffee shop.

Coffee and barista signs hang on the walls. An overstuffed sofa sits to one side with a coffee table in front of it that is stacked with magazines and games like Connect Four to keep children busy. The music streaming out of the stereo is a combination of big band swing, classical music and Irish tunes.

Wehrle is involving the whole family. Her husband, Kevin, a police officer with the Cape Girardeau Police Department, will be helping his wife on his days off, and her brother intends to help in the afternoons. Her mother, Dawn Gravil, has jumped on board as well and will be coming in on a daily basis to bake.

Gravil has been baking her entire life. She was a cake decorator at Schnucks, Meyer's Bakery and worked at Chartwells at Southeast Missouri State University for a while.

"That's all I've ever done," she said.

Coffee and Confections will offer a range of food and drink. Cappuccinos, espressos and flavored coffees are all available. At the food counter, there are cookies, cakes and muffins. If you aren't into sweets, Coffee and Confections also offers salads, deli sandwiches and special soup each day.

Wehrle knows that during these tough economic times, starting a business could be a risky venture.

"It does concern me a little bit," Wehrle said.

But she has hope and a plan.

"I feel like we have a product that is good," she said.

Wehrle intends to keep the prices reasonable. She made sure to pick a centralized location, with plenty of parking. The only thing missing, she said, is a drive-through.

"We're trying to do everything from scratch," Gravil said.

COFFEE & CONFECTIONS

502 W. Main St., Jackson