North Huntingdon couple takes 'leap of faith' in reopening Irwin coffee shop

A North Huntingdon couple who dreamed of operating their own coffee shop and bakery, have bought a former Irwin coffee shop where they loved to relax while drinking coffee and tea.

Eric and Sarah Shearer, both 30, even used it as the place to write ‘thank you notes’ to those who gave them gifts for their wedding seven years ago.

“It was a big leap of faith,” Eric Shearer said, of opening the White Tree Cafe & Coffeehouse at 512 Main St.

The couple, who met while students at Saint Vincent College near Latrobe, saw the opportunity to make that “big leap of faith” when the owners of the Cheesecake Caffe — Caroline and Joe Lewis — announced in September they were closing the business for health reasons.

When they spent time at the Cheesecake Caffe, they saw “a bunch of smiling faces” and customers who shared their passion for “coffee and a place for community,” Eric said.

The Shearers inquired about buying the business and were given a small window of about two weeks to make a decision. The Lewises were selling the business with the kitchen and coffee-making equipment, making it closer to a turnkey operation.

The decision to go into business came after some deep discussions, Eric said. If they were ever going to pursue their dream of opening a coffeehouse, they decided the Cheescake Caffe was the right place. It had a great location, it was the only coffee shop and bakery in Irwin and had an established clientele that had grown over seven years.

There aren’t that many places to just ‘hang out,’” Eric said. “It’s a social mixing pot. We were missing that from college.”

That leap of faith meant that Eric would quit his job as an engineer for a Pittsburgh area firm and become a full-time barista at the White Tree Cafe.

Sarah is still working her “day job” as a web designer, in addition to helping to run the business. Her web design skills were put to use when they designed the website for the business and T-shirts with the White Tree logo.

They initially hoped to open in the spring, but as they got more involved in setting up the business, they found the reality was that it took longer than anticipated. They did some remodeling and added their own touch, including selling wooden cutting boards that Eric makes.

The couple have got invaluable help from Sarah’s mother, Susan Formica, who has been responsible for the fresh baked goods —such as muffins and cookies. Her daily commitment to keep fresh food at the coffeehouse has been a big help for the new business owners.

“She is a special baker,” Sarah said.

They’ve also been given a helping hand by the former owners, who have lent their expertise, with such culinary tasks as making cheesecake. Eric said he learned there is an art to doing it properly.

Like so many other businesses that have been operating during the crunch in the supply chain, the couple said they have had their issue getting some supplies — such as paper coffee cups and lids — but not the food needed to make what they sell, Eric said.

They had a successful grand opening on July 9, which had customers lined out the door. That had been preceded by three weeks of a “soft opening” that allowed them to work out the kinks and get accustomed to serving their clientele, Sarah said. He was learning the intricacies of operating the coffee machine to make all the special coffee drinks.

As for the name, they wanted something catchy. Eric credits his sister for coming up with the name White Tree.

“It’s a very subtle literary twist,” Eric said. “It comes from the third book of the ‘Lord of the Rings.’ It’s a symbol for one of the kingdoms.”