After 17 years, Bill Ingham has officially retired from the Trade Street Gallery Coffeehouse.  He started the business with Wendy Ingham and has been running the coffeehouse for many years now on his own – seven days a week, starting at 7 a.m.  Bill’s last day open was April 11.  As a testament to the love of the coffeehouse and for Bill, more than 50 people came to Bill’s retirement party to give thanks and to celebrate all that is “Bill.”

A team of seven friends has come together to create a “co-op” to keep the idea of a downtown coffeehouse alive.  The eclectic team includes local business owners, banking and sales managers, construction specialists, artists, a publicist and more.  A completely new business has been created with the name Tryon Coffeehouse Co-op.

Tim Daniels, spokesperson for the co-op explains, “The goal is serve a great cup of coffee – but to also serve the community.  We want to continue the strong vibe of friendship that Bill Ingham instilled in his coffeehouse.  We want to make it the ‘friendliest coffeehouse in the south’ — serving our local residents but also to be a welcoming, vibrant hot-spot for visitors, bicycle enthusiasts and more.”

All of the counter staff and all of the members of the co-op committee are volunteering their time to make the coffeehouse co-op thrive.  The team is going to do more than remodel and decorate.  There are plans to bring back a monthly Picking Parlor and to create a “pending coffee” program where customers can ‘pay a cup of coffee forward.’  The revamped coffeehouse will be kid friendly and hours of operation will eventually be extended.  It is also important to the co-op team that the Wednesday night AA meetings continue to take place at the coffeehouse.  Once officially open, the Coffeehouse Co-op will encourage other groups to meet during or after-hours at the shop.  The end goal is to eventually pay counter staff – and then to return profits directly into the community.

Plans are to open as soon as possible, but work on the building itself is a priority and is currently underway.   A rainy April has put a few things behind schedule already, but the team remains steadfast in regards to opening soon.  Right now, the focus is on a “30-day triage” and getting the doors back open within a month or less.  The co-op team has a list of priorities and is attacking them in a systematic way.  Upgrades will be made quickly – but some changes will also happen over time.

A customer who splits time between Tryon and Myrtle Beach recently stopped by the coffeehouse, unaware that Bill had retired two days before.  He wisely stated, “But…Bill’s place was more than just a coffeeshop.”  Indeed.  The new version will also be “more than just a coffeehouse.”  It will be a love letter to our community.

A Facebook page has been set up, search Tryon Coffeehouse Co-op.  Photos of the progress will be shared.  Donations are graciously accepted and an Indiegogo crowd-funding platform is in the works.

-Submitted by Tracie Daniels