Sister act: Brock, Wiebelhaus open B&W Coffee Corner

Brent Harm, For The Nonpareil

CLARINDA – Two sisters, Mary Brock and Sue Wiebelhaus, opened the B & W Coffee Corner on Nov. 25, the day after Thanksgiving. A third sister, Rose Mullen, helps out at the store when she has time. The store is located on the northwest corner of Highway 30 and Main, where Adams Motors used to be.

“We decided to open the store mainly because this summer, after Adams moved to their new building, it seemed like there were so many empty buildings in the area,” explained Wiebelhaus. “I thought to myself, ‘There’s gotta be some kind of business that would work here.'”

What the ladies came up with was a nice little coffee shop, where people can sit and visit, or drive through for a beverage or snack if they don’t have time to stop. It wasn’t the first venture in managing a store for either lady.

“We’ve both managed convenience stores,” said Wiebelhaus. “I managed Sparky’s in Denison and Mary worked with me. When the manager position at Sparky’s in Vail became available, she took that. We’ve all had either restaurant or retail experience.”

There are always people sitting in convenience stores, visiting and drinking coffee. They might as well do it at a coffee shop. Of course, there’s more at B & W Coffee Corner than just coffee.

“We have a limited lunch, soup and sandwich, plus doughnuts and pastries,” stated Wiebelhaus. “We have other beverages, such as hot chocolate. A lot of people like the drive-thru feature. And there’s definitely a good view.”

The sisters have no problem keeping busy.

“We all have other jobs,” said Wiebelhaus. “Mary works a night shift at Pella in Carroll, I work for A.C. Nielson, a marketing research firm, and Rose is a nurse at the hospital.”

So how does this latest gig compare to other jobs they’ve had?

“When you’re the owner, not just the manager, you’re the one paying the bills,” said Wiebelhaus. “That’s the frightening part. The most challenging part is just getting people to stop in and give it a chance.”

Being the one in charge does have its advantages, though.

“The best part of the job is that you make your own decisions, set your own hours, and be your own boss,” stated Wiebelhaus.

Meeting people greatest part of job

“My favorite part of the job is meeting and visiting with people,” added Brock. “We’re bringing a taste of ‘big-city’ coffee to Denison. We’re planning to expand with items like frappuchinos, smoothies, and hopefully a salad bar. We’re hoping to get wireless Internet capability too. We’re not Starbucks yet, but we’re gonna’ get there.”

The ladies have not always lived in the area.

“We were born in Detroit,” stated Wiebelhaus. “I moved here from Omaha in ’84, when my husband’s job brought him here. Rose moved to the area in ’91 and Mary moved here in ’96. I would never want to live in the city again.”

As far as any difficulty in working with siblings, Wiebelhaus said it’s not a problem.

“We’ve always gotten along,” she stated.

Not only do they usually think alike, apparently Sue and Mary look a little alike too.

“People sometimes mistake us for each other,” Wiebelhaus added.

The ladies at B & W Coffee Corner are ready and waiting to serve people. Store hours are 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

“We’ll do whatever it takes to make people happy,” said Wiebelhaus. “All they’ve gotta do is tell us how they want something done, and we’ll do it.”