ANNA – Three nearby residents have merged their passions together to start Fill My Cup coffee shop in Anna with a goal of giving back to the community that has fervently supported their grand opening.
It all started when Linda Glessner, Rita Baumer and Samantha Brunson met in 2019. Glessner purchased the building that formerly housed a flower shop at that time with the goal of turning it into a coffee shop after seeing a need for such a business in Anna. She is a lifetime resident of Anna and previously worked at U.S. Bank.
Baumer is from Botkins and is the owner of the business. She started working in restaurants at 15 years old, and she has worked for Kinninger’s Family Restaurant and L&K Restaurant in Botkins and the Chalet Restaurant in Wapakoneta along with Hubbard Feeds in Botkins and Lowe’s in Wapakoneta. She also brings baking experience to the shop as she grew up baking with her grandmother.
“Baking for family, coworkers, and others is a joy. Bringing this to the coffee shop is one thing that puts me in my element,” Baumer said.
Brunson is from Waynesfield and is the managing barista. She was trained in preparing drinks as the head barista at a church-owned coffee shop in 2018.
The name “Fill My Cup” relates to the experience customers will receive when they visit the shop and the ways the owners have decided to give back to the community.
“Not only can a customer expect to get a cup full of coffee, but also the atmosphere, the conversation, the food, the overall experience is meant to put a person in their ‘happy place.’ We have adopted a mindset of going the extra mile and use the phrase ‘and then some’ in our daily serving customers with smiles, pleasant atmosphere, great drinks and food…and then some!” Baumer said in an email.
When visiting the shop, customers can select from a large menu of drinks – including coffee using beans from Old Hatch Roastery in Celina, fruit smoothies, hot chocolate and tea from Teapigs – as well as a growing amount of food options – including salads, sandwiches, parfaits, and other in-house made pastries and treats. They can then either enjoy the outdoors with a fenced-in backyard, patio, and fountain, or they can stay indoors with inviting decor and a fireplace.
“We are having fun experimenting with recipes and deciding which items can meet a standard we want for our customers to savor and enjoy. As the holidays get closer, we will take orders for cheese balls in particular,” Baumer said about the menu.
The shop has become integral in the community with the help of programs like Coffee with the Chief with Anna Police Chief Darrin Goudy – the first of which was held on Sept. 24 – and Pancakes on the Patio on Oct. 1 which kicked off their Cup of Care campaign. The Cup of Care campaign will be “a monthly show of care toward a local family or person in a serious situation or crisis that requires financial assistance.” 100% of the funds raised will be donated, according to the coffee shop’s Facebook.
October’s recipient will be Ashley Holthaus, 37, an Anna resident with end-stage five renal failure awaiting a kidney transplant. She has been a volunteer for the Anna Rescue Squad for almost 20 years, and she is the community relations officer at the Women’s Center of Ohio in Sidney and a development officer with the Elizabeth New Life Center Ministry, according to the coffee shop’s Facebook.
“There is something to say about a community that can come together to lift up a family or individual during a unforeseen crisis. Fill My Cup was created with the idea that our cup would overflow for the community around us,” a Facebook post said.
Currently, the coffee shop’s hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with plans to start opening at 7 a.m. eventually.
“We officially opened our doors on Aug. 18; every day since then has been a ‘grand opening!’ Each day is started with prayer and we are excited to see where each day leads,” Baumer said.
Fill My Cup is located at 308 W. Main St. in Anna. For more information, visit the Fill My Cup Facebook page.
