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A C o f f e e Q u e s t What's the secret to a great independent coffeehouse? by DoN heLIN I love a good coffeehouse. e smells. e bustle. e things I imagine being created behind all those laptops. Besides, everyone always seems so happy to be there. And that made me wonder: What makes a coffeehouse great? Why do some succeed and others fail? And why do people flock to our area's independent coffeehouses when there's always another Starbucks up the road? the CorNerStoNe CoFFeehouSe When you walk through the front door of the Cornerstone Coffeehouse, you know you're in a special place. You immediately hear the sounds of people talking and laughing. You sniff the enticing aroma of food cooking and then eyeball the wide variety of coffees and teas. "You can choose from 12 different roasts or flavors of coffee, and about 25 different types of tea," remarked co-owner Al Pera. Besides the java itself, great coffeehouses often set themselves apart with the high quality of their food and their events. Cornerstone has both. "We now have a full lunch menu with healthier options since many of our menu items are either organic or gluten free," said Pera. Live music fills the air on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, and you're welcome to stroll through the art gallery, which features a different artist each month. For you foodies, the owners offer weekly cooking classes in their culinary kitchen. e staff is another key differentiator, as veteran staffers get to know regular customers and the customers them. "I am really proud of our staff," said General Manager Nicole Miller. "We have people who have been here for a long time. For example, our baker, Cindy, has been with us for 12 years." at stands in stark contrast to the face-of-the-month at a certain coffee chain behemoth. Speaking of which, I asked Pera if it was difficult to compete with Starbucks. "I don't compete with Starbucks," he said. "We're just different. For example, we order our coffee on a Monday, they roast it and get it to us by Tuesday. We also have many fair trade and organic coffees to choose from. You can sit down and enjoy your coffee in a nice porcelain mug if you'd like." I had to agree with the quality of the food as I nibbled on a tuna melt and spooned down a bowl of thick and tasty split pea and ham soup for lunch. I followed it up with a refreshing glass of iced tea. After 21 years, Cornerstone has not lost a beat, outlasting many other shops that have tried to compete. "We at the Cornerstone care for the Camp Hill community, and the community cares for us," said Miller. LIttLe AMPS CoFFee roASterS Aaron Carlson describes his introduction to coffee roasting as half serendipity, half opportunity. He's from central PA, but spent years as a musician, traveling around the country before returning to Harrisburg. 32 | theburg | 02.16 gooD eAtS Cornerstone Coffeehouse St. omas Roasters

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