Located downtown Orange City, the beloved Town Square Coffeehouse has officially announced its closure after serving the community for eight years. In those eight years, a re-brand and relocation occurred, along with dates, chatting with friends and even a wedding.
As a prime off-campus homework spot, Old Factory Coffee Shop came to life after several renovations by former Northwestern English professor, Richard Sowienski, in 2010. In 2014, Old Factory became under the supervision of Steve and Emily Mahr and Eric and Mary Arteche.
Beacon advisor Madison Follett fondly remembers her time at the Old Factory, using the space as a place to catch up on her homework and dates with her now-husband and RD of Coly, Brian.
“Old Factory brought an incredible sense of warmth the moment you walked in the door,” Follett said. “It was the workers, the atmosphere, the coziness of the chairs and couches, the building itself, everything about that place made me feel at home in Orange City.”
In 2019, the coffee shop changed locations, moving to Central Avenue and was renamed Town Square Coffeehouse + Kitchen. Alyssa Buren, a former barista at Town Square, loved the welcoming atmosphere along with the “top tier quality” coffee. Town Square served a variety of products alongside coffee, including smoothies, tea, breakfasts and lunches.
“I instantly felt part of the family as soon as I started working there,” Buren said. “Through my time there, I made so many memories and it gave me some of my best friends. We always had a good time whether it was working Tulip Festival weekend, staff bonfires, Abba dance parties, Catan nights or even celebrating a wedding.”
Students and the community loved the coffee from Town Square. The little coffee shop had wonderful reviews for its tastes, community and “ten out of ten latte art,” according to Maddie Loats. Many students claimed that Town Square had a comforting atmosphere.
“I loved that it was very homey. The employees were always happy to see people and welcoming,” Loats said. “If you wanted to socialize you could socialize, if you wanted to study, you could study.”
For the noncoffee drinkers, Town Square provided delicious snacks and meals. On occasion, Town Square would have a pho night, serving pho, soups and eggrolls.
“I went for the food, and that was fun,” Alyssa Feeley said.
Town Square Coffee has the hearts of many, as a popular date spot and a wedding location. The coffee shop hosted an array of events for student life as well: petting dogs before stressful exams, poetry slams and a place to get brunch on the weekends.
“Town Square really interacted well with the college students,” Feeley said. Her favorite Town Square event was a donut run during orientation weekend.
Unfortunately, Town Square closed on Christmas Day of 2021 and never reopened. Owner Steve Mahr, according to a Facebook post, was thankful for the customer’s support throughout the coffee shop’s last few years at its uptown location.
“We have had joy, grief, peace and celebration in that place because so many had the courage to come and be authentic and vulnerable,” Mahr stated in his post.
As you can see, Town Square’s wonderful smells, staff and smiles are missed by many NW students and faculty.
“Town Square was definitely more than just a coffee shop for many people, and I hope that even in its absence, the environment and ideals they created and stood for continue to make a difference in the lives of people in Orange City,” Buren said.
