Farm-to-table restaurant and coffee shop opens in North Chattanooga

Fast factsWhat: The Farmer's Daughter and Copacetic CoffeeWhere: 1211 Hixson PikeHours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through SundayThe Farmer's Daughter owners: Mike Mayo and Ann KeenerCopacetic Coffee owners: Andrew Bettis, Andrew Gage and Scott PorbanskySource: The Farmer's Daughter and Copacetic Coffee

photo People sit at the bar at The Farmer's Daughter and Copacetic Coffee on Thursday. The Farmer's Daughter and Copacetic Coffee is located at 1211 Hixson Pike.

Two new businesses that hope to marry great coffee with great food are opening in a shared space in North Chattanooga.

The Farmer's Daughter and Copacetic Coffee are serving breakfast and lunch in an old gas station at 1211 Hixson Pike, with The Farmer's Daughter creating the food and Copacetic Coffee whipping up all sorts of black brews.

The restaurant and coffee shop will hold a grand opening next Friday. But in the meantime, family and friends are welcome to drop by for a meal or a drink, said The Farmer's Daughter co-owner Mike Mayo.

"Friends and family are welcome, and if you're in the neighborhood and you walk in the door, then you must be a friend," he said.

Together the companies employ about 20 people and have put $150,000 into renovating the old Exxon station. The Farmer's Daughter is dishing up traditional American fare like chili, grilled ham and cheese, muffins and

quiche. Prices range between $2 and $9 in the sit-down and carry-out restaurant. Copacetic Coffee's prices average around $3 a glass.

The two companies decided to launch together so that customers can get the best of both worlds, Mayo said.

"What I've seen before is that you go to a coffee house and the coffee is excellent but the food doesn't really match up to the coffee," he said. "Or you go to a restaurant and the food is excellent but the coffee doesn't match. We want to create an experience where we are creating excellence in our products no matter what that product may be."

Both The Farmer's Daughter and Copacetic Coffee are focused on the farm-to-table model and aim to source as much as possible -- both food and supplies -- from local farmers and local producers.

"It's our belief that sustainable small business is both what drives local economies and what creates vibrant communities," Mayo said. "It's the butcher and the baker and the candlestick maker. It's a full spectrum approach to local sourcing."

Eventually the site will host classes and workshops to encourage local shopping and entrepreneurship. Mayo hopes the restaurant will function as a shared community space and will eventually extend service into the evening hours.

Copacetic co-founder Andrew Bettis said the company is excited to teach Chattanoogans about coffee.

"There's a lot of misinformation and buzzwords out there about coffee," he said. "And we're excited to see an actual coffee culture grow in a town where people think about what they're drinking, think about where it comes from, how it was prepared. That kind of sold us more than the idea of a coffee shop alone."

The site can seat 60 people inside and another 60 people outside. Both companies hope to capitalize on the commuter traffic into Chattanooga on Hixson Pike while also establishing a neighborhood-heavy customer base.

The idea has been in the works since March 2012 and took longer than expected to pull together, Mayo said. The gas station needed a lot of work after sitting vacant and deteriorating.

Mayo built much of the furniture by hand, included the bar and tables, which slowed the process down as well, he said. But now, the two companies are ready to get off the ground. They're starting simple.

"When you use really great ingredients, it doesn't have to be flashy," Mayo said.

Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com.

Upcoming Events