DECATUR - Coffee Connection has a simple, earth-toned outdoor patio with plants, rocks, pottery and fountains, and now it has a special sticker in the window with a happy-looking bee on it.
Owner Julie Stalets said curb appeal has always been an important part of drawing customers into the small drive-through coffee shop on the corner of North Main Street and McKinley Avenue. Her dedication to a picturesque storefront won Coffee Connection the first ever Let's Keep Decatur Bee-utiful first place award.
"We are very big on curb appeal," she said after receiving the award and a pair of decals to display in her shop's windows. It's important for our business, to have a nice image."
Coffee Connection, which opened two and a half years ago, serves a variety of flavored coffees to those who only have time to zip through the drive-through lane.
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"The city requires you to do certain landscaping, but we expanded on that," Stalets said. "We want to have a nice area that's inviting for customers."
The award is sponsored by Let's Keep Decatur Bee-utiful, a group retired teacher Jill Davis began this year with the aim of encouraging local businesses to beautify themselves and by extension, the city. She said a committee of four surveyed each of the 40 competitors to account for things such as maintenance on the exterior, a lack of litter or graffiti on the premises, and nice landscaping.
"(We looked for) an instant feeling of curb appeal, a feeling of ‘Wow, that hits me,' " Davis said Friday morning after presenting the award to Stalets. "They care about their business, they care about the Decatur community, about the customers coming and going."
In second place was Dairy Queen Grill and Chill. Teresa Bradley, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Wendell, said they take pride in a well-decorated and maintained outdoor patio. The couple has owned that location since 2006.
"We have a parklike setting here, an outdoor patio with two gas-log fireplaces, and electric heaters so we can extend the outdoor season longer," she said. "It's a great parklike setting."
Wendell Bradley said they appreciate the award, given the amount of time and effort they put into keeping up that part of their establishment.
"That's the whole theory, that having a nice-looking facility that looks well-maintained gives you a good image before they even get to the restaurant," he said. "Part of it is our personal pride in the business."
Meda Pharmaceutical on Eldorado Street took third place. Besides an award certificate and decals with the group's bee mascot, the three establishments were given gift cards to local establishments.
Davis said she hopes to run the contest annually.
