Note: This piece was written and shot for the Murrow Rural Reporting Plunge. For more info, please see https://rural.murrowbpj.com/

Rosalia has a few special spots. One of them is Alyssa Hale’s personalized coffee shop, Hole in the Grounds Coffee.

While Hale has only lived in the community for a year, she got right to work and does not plan to leave.

Hale and her husband, a Rosalia native, moved back to the small town after they lost their house to a fire.

“Owning a coffee shop saves me money on coffee,” Hale said. 

Some of her favorite customers are a group of old men self-named the Liar’s Field. They come in every morning and talk about anything from politics to what they are going to do to their fields.

“It can get pretty heated,” Hale said.

She made her coffee shop home-like and welcoming so any customer can come in and feel welcome. 

The decorations in her cafe reflect her. She has a teal color scheme accented with large pieces of wall furniture and coffee signs. Another unique thing about Hale’s shop is her daily joke sign. She puts out a new joke every day on a chalkboard sign in front of the store for anyone passing by.

Hale said her syrup system sometimes catches people off-guard.

“I have 72 flavors organized alphabetically,” Hale said.

While Hale may not have lived here her whole life, she knows the community, traditions and everyone’s coffee order.